Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Monday he would not resign, almost a week later publicly raising the possibility in response to corruption allegations against his wife that he and other officials denounced as a smear campaign.
The decision by Mr. Sánchez, who has repeatedly astonished his supporters and frustrated his conservative detractors with his knack for political survival, is momentous for him, his country and all of Europe.
Mr. Sánchez aroused the concern, perplexity and hopes of the right last week when he responded to the opening of judicial information on his wife by canceling his public schedule and sending an emotional public letter. He wrote that the harassment against his family had become intolerable and that he planned to stop.
But on Monday, he came back from the precipice. The Spanish prosecutor’s office had already requested the dismissal of the complaint filed against his wife, for lack of evidence.
“I have decided to continue with more force,” Mr. Sánchez said in the highly anticipated speech delivered on the steps of the Moncloa Palace, the prime minister’s residence. He added that his government would “show the world how we can defend ourselves against slander.”
The trigger for this sudden crisis was a Spanish judge’s decision to receive a complaint from Clean Hands, a group known for bringing court cases against Spanish politicians and other figures.
The group filed a lawsuit accusing Mr. Sánchez’s wife, Begoña Gómez, of influence peddling and corruption – citing as potential evidence online reports that it acknowledged may contain false information. The judge ordered a preliminary investigation based on this information published by online media.
For now, Mr. Sánchez will remain one of the most trusted progressive voices on the European stage at a time of rising populism and nationalism.
Mr. Sánchez, young, tall and photogenic, unexpectedly took power in June 2018 after calling a vote of no confidence that brought down the conservative government amid a slush fund scandal within the conservative People’s Party .
He then formed a government with the support of the left-wing Unidas Podemos party and regional separatist parties, which harbor hopes of breaking away from Madrid, and he immediately became a source of hope for liberals who were desperate for a gateway -international flag during a period of populism and politics. victories of the far right across the continent.
Under his tenure, Spain passed progressive legislation and its economy improved. But over the past year, he had become increasingly unpopular at home, with a reputation for reversals and political machinations. He called early elections and prematurely ended the the country’s first coalition government since the return of democracy in the 1970s.
His conservative opponents seemed to be in the lead. But this decision turned out to be a masterstroke. Although he won fewer votes than the Popular Party, Mr. Sánchez called the election early enough to stop the hemorrhaging of his supporters and prevent his center-right rivals and the far-right Vox party from winning a margin wide enough to form a government. Instead, he put together a governing coalition made up of almost all remaining political forces, including smaller and in some cases opposing parties.
In recent weeks, he has overcome other domestic obstacles, including the passage of a highly controversial amnesty law that pleased and kept in the fold the coalition partners who supported independence in the northern region of Catalonia. Mr. Sánchez seemed rather ready to serve his second term.
But then, after months of largely ignored reports claiming his wife and associates benefited from his relationship with the prime minister, a self-styled anti-corruption group with a history of pursue long-term business filed a complaint based on several of these critical articles with a Spanish judge.
On Wednesday, the judge agreed to investigate, Mr. Sánchez expressed his emotional response and the Spanish political landscape began to shake.
