Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez admitted on Wednesday that he will consider his continuity in office after his wife, Begoña Gómez, was investigated for influence peddling.

In a letter addressed to citizens, dated today, and published on social networks, Sánchez admits that it is now time to "stop and reflect on whether I should continue at the head of the government or resign this high honor".

In the letter, the Spanish prime minister states that the justice system in this case will call the directors of two online newspapers to testify in the case against his wife. "In my opinion, these are newspapers with a strong orientation towards the Right and the Far Right," he wrote.

Sánchez also canceled his agenda until April 29.

Sánchez considers attacks to be "serious"

In the letter, the prime minister considers the attacks on his wife to be "serious" and that people often forget that behind politicians there are "people". Sánchez continues to point the finger at the more right-wing parties, accusing the PP and Vox of carrying out a strategy of "harassment and demolition" for months. "This is an operation of harassment and demolition by land, sea and air, in an attempt to make me lose political and personal strength by attacking my wife," he wrote.

What are these accusations?

According to the Superior Court of Justice of Madrid, quoted by the publication El Mundo, the procedure initiated by the 41st Investigating Court of the capital originated in a complaint filed by the Manos Limpias union, based on the private activities of Pedro Sánchez's wife.

In a resolution dated April 16, Judge Juan Carlos Peinado agreed that the investigation would remain secret.

In the complaint, the union explores the connection between Begoña Gómez and a businessman who received contracts from the Central Administration.

This is Carlos Barrabés, whose consulting firm - in a temporary union with another company - obtained awards in 2020 and 2021 from the public entity Red.es, which is dependent on the Ministry of Economy. He did so with the express support of Begoña Gómez who, according to El Confidencial, gave her approval to the company in a letter. Gómez is co-director of the Master's Degree in Competitive Social Transformation at the Complutense University of Madrid, which is promoted by Barrabés.

The complaint by Manos Limpias, which triggered the investigation, proposed that the court summon the wife of the Spanish prime minister to testify as a defendant, that statements be collected from several witnesses and that documentation on public contracts be collected.

[News updated at 7:15 pm]

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