Sanchez Remains Prime Minister Amid Corruption Probe Against Wife

Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced on Monday that he would continue in office after taking time off to consider resigning following the launch of an investigation into corruption allegations against his wife. The centre-left leader, 52, had surprised both allies and opponents when he revealed last week that he was contemplating stepping down due to a probe launched against his spouse for accusations relating to influence peddling and business fraud which Sanchez described as orchestrated by political adversaries.
Sanchez met with King Felipe VI on Monday but informed the monarch of his decision to remain in office, citing widespread expressions of support over the weekend that encouraged him to stay put. The announcement came after a period of instability in Spanish politics where coalition governments have struggled to form following close elections due to political fragmentation. Had Sanchez resigned and triggered another election, it would have been Spain’s fourth poll in five years.
The opposition is expected to exploit the indecision shown by Sanchez but Jurado Ignacio, a professor of Political Science at Madrid’s Carlos III University, believes that this move may not be as impactful due to the already polarised political landscape which has contributed to weakening the prime minister’s credibility in recent times. “His weakness is something that the opposition will exploit heavily,” Jurado said.