Spanish PM threatens to resign over corruption inquiry into wife

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Begoña Gómez has been accused of using government money to secure private contracts

Spanish PM threatens to resign over corruption inquiry into wife

Pedro Sánchez, the Prime Minister and the President of the Government of Spain, has said he will be temporarily stopping his public duties and may even step down altogether in light of an ongoing inquiry involving his wife, Begoña Gómez.

In a statement this Wednesday evening, April 24, Sánchez expressed the need for a pause to consider whether to continue leading the government amidst allegations that his wife allegedly used her influence to secure contracts with private companies using government money.

The case has been brought before a court in Spain by anti-corruption group Manos Limpias (Clean Hands), which has links to far-right groups which Sánchez says are trying to harass and undermine him.

While specifics of the accusations remain undisclosed by the court, media reports have shed light on the nature of the claims. Allegations include purported connections between Begoña Gómez and private companies that received government funding or contracts, notably involving a sponsorship deal with tourism group Globalia, owners of Air Europa, the airline which was bailed out using government money.

In 2018, the founder of Manos Limpias, former rightwing politician Miguel Bernard, was investigated by the Audiencia Nacional high court in Madrid for his part in a scheme to extort money from companies and banks, in collaboration with the consumer association Ausbanc, led by Luis Pineda. They were accused of making allegations of corrpution against companies and then asking those companies for money in exchange for withdrawing the allegations. Pineda was sentenced to eight years in prison while Bernard got four. They were later acquitted by the Supreme Court in 2024.

Manos Limpias has admitted the “possibility” that its allegations against Begoña Gómez may be based on ‘fake news’.

Sánchez assured that his wife would cooperate with the legal proceedings to defend her integrity. The unfolding situation has political ramifications, with opposition parties seeking explanations and allies voicing support for Sánchez. However, the timing is critical for the Socialist party, with upcoming European Parliament elections and Catalonia’s regional elections looming.

Pedro Sánchez won the general election in Spain last November only by managing to form a coalition with Catalan separatist parties and by pushing through an amnesty bill that would essentially pardon certain Catalan figures, including former Catalan regional leader Carles Puigdemont, for their part in the illegal Catalan independence referendum of 2017.

The President has put a pause on all his official duties, such as the launch of the electoral campaign for his PSOE party in Barcelona this Thursday, and has pledged to announce whether or not he will resign on Monday.

If that proves to be the case, he will be forced to dissolve parliament on May 29, at the earliest, and fresh elections would be held, in that case, from July 21 onwards. Elections are rarely held in Spain in August as it is a time when many people are away on holiday.

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