Spain’s Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, yesterday announced that he would continue as leader of the government, following five days of “reflection”.
Sánchez surprised Spain last Wednesday, when he cancelled all public engagements to “consider his future” after a lawsuit was filed against his wife, Begoña Gómez. In an angry letter, he accused “right-wing and far-right” sources of carrying out “a campaign of bullying and destruction”.
Manos Limpias, the association which issued the lawsuit has since admitted that it may be based on false news reports.
Sánchez’s withdrawal prompted messages of support from Socialist party members throughout Spain, and his decision to carry on was greeted with satisfaction. However, the leader of the opposition, Alberto Núñez Feijóo has accused him of “keeping Spain waiting while he contemplates his navel.”
Sánchez is a skilled operator with a history of taking audacious risks and winning. Some have suggested that his recent withdrawal may have been intended as a way to focus minds on the upcoming Catalan parliamentary elections on May 12th and the EU elections later in the month.
