Will Pedro Sánchez resign?
Government in crisis – report continues from front page
Sr Sánchez stated in his letter to the nation that ‘it appears’ the judge will call in the online newspaper editors to answer questions over the articles.
“In my opinion, these media have a marked right-wing and extreme right-wing orientation,” he stated.
“As is logical, Begoña will defend her honour and collaborate with the justice system in everything they ask for in order to clear up a matter which, in appearance, is very scandalous but in reality does not exist.”
Sr Sánchez noted that as the articles have appeared in the online newspapers, they have been responding to the ‘falsehoods’ that have been published and, at the same time, Sra Gómez has taken legal action against them.
“It is a strategy of harassment that has been going on for months,” stated Sr Sanchez.
He also accused the opposition leaders, Alberto Nuñez Feijóo of the Partido Popular (PP) and Santiago Abascal from Vox of being ‘necessary collaborators’ in the affair.
The PM noted that Sr Feijóo had presented a complaint to the office of conflict of interests, asking for him to be barred from public office for five to 10 years, but this had been shelved.
Sr Sánchez alleged that the forces of the right are trying to bring him down using every strategy possible.
He said he is conscious that ‘they have denounced Begoña – not because she has done something illegal, as they know that is not the case – but because she is my wife’.
The mud machine
Sr Sánchez claimed that a ‘coalition of rightwing interests, which will not accept the election result’ has put a ‘mud machine’ into motion.
He noted that Italian author Umberto Eco had coined the phrase to describe a method in which scandalous and false stories are created in order to dehumanise and delegitimise a political rival.
The PM alluded to the strain it has put on his family and said he has had to ask himself ‘is it really worth it?’
He noted in the letter that ‘sincerely, I don’t know’.
“This attack is without precedent and it is so serious that I need to stop and spend time to think with my wife,” he stated.
He added: “It don’t have any problem admitting that I am deeply in love with my wife and I feel impotent against the mud that they are throwing at her day after day.”
The PM said he will think about whether ‘I should continue at the head of the government or give up this very high honour’.
“I will continue working but I will cancel my public agenda for a couple of days to reflect and decide on which path to take,” he stated. “On Monday, April 29 I will appear in front
nd of the press and I will let you know of my decision.”
Reaction
PP leader Alberto Nuñez Feijóo responded by saying that ‘Sánchez has a judicial problem, not a political one’ and he is ‘looking to play the victim and polarise the situation so he can mobilise his party’.
He claimed that with his letter, the PM wanted to ‘bring Spanish politics into the mud’ before the Catalan and European election campaigns begin.
According to Sr Nuñez Feijóo, Sr Sánchez will not resign on Monday but will say that he has to carry on ‘in order to halt the right’.
He added that ‘there is no precedent’ for a prime minister to publish a letter which ‘libels
and defames’, and which blames the opposition and the media for the actions of the courts.
“If he wants to protect his family then he should give an explanation in Parliament and not publish a letter saying that that this is a conspiracy,” he said.
Sr Nuñez Feijóo claimed that Sr Sánchez had ‘burned all his bridges’ and ended ‘all parliamentary courtesy’.
The general secretaries of the powerful CCOO and UGT unions, Unai Sordo and Pepe Álvarez issued statements calling on Sr Sánchez ‘not to give in’ and ‘not to resign’.
They noted that it had been ‘an enormous struggle’ to get a democratic system in Spain which was elected by the people and not by the rich and powerful.
They urged the PM to face down the challenge and not be affected by ‘manoeuvres to change governments’.
Who are Manos Limpias?
The organisation claims to be a trade union although they are described by leading Spanish newspaper El País as a ‘pseudo’ union.
It was founded in 1995 by Miguel Bernad, who is a lawyer and former far-right politician.
They state that they try to denounce any kind of political or economic corruption occurring in Spain which damages the public interest.
Recently the Supreme Court absolved Sr Benard and another defendant, Luis Pineda on appeal after they had been handed jail sentences of eight and four years respectively for an alleged extortion campaign against Spanish banks.
They had been accused of threatening to run smear campaigns against them.
What is the PM's wife accused of?
The case has been declared subjudice by a Madrid court.
However, PM Sánchez noted that Begoña Gómez is accused of influence peddling and business malpractice.
Digital newspaper investigations have claimed that Sra Gómez used her position to ‘recommend’ businesspeople for public contracts.