Pedro Sánchez has announced his decision to continue in his post as prime minister of Spain.
Socialist (PSOE) leader Sánchez made his announcement from Moncloa, the prime minister’s residence, at just after 11am on Monday morning, saying that he had already informed king Felipe VI of his decision.
He said that he will remain in his role as head of the government in order to fight injustice ‘with more strength’ than he has done so before, after taking five days to reflect on his political future.
His decisison comes after halting public duties since last Wednesday after a judge in Madrid opened a corruption investigation into Begoña Gómez, his wife. ALSO READ: Pedro Sánchez to announce on Monday whether he will continue as Prime Minister.
‘I’ve decided to stay, with more strength even, in charge of the premiership of Spain’s government,’ he said on Monday, although he also said that ‘this harassment campaign [against his wife and family] won’t stop, but we can beat it’.
‘Let us show the world how democracy is defended, let us put an end to this smearing in the only possible way, through collective, serene, democratic rejection, beyond acronyms and ideologies, which I am committed to leading firmly as Prime Minister of the Government of Spain,’ Sánchez said.
Thousands of his supporters had massed outside the headquarters of the PSOE socialist party in Madrid on Saturday, imploring him to continue in the role. ALSO READ: ‘Stay, Pedro! Don’t give up!’ – Thousands of Spanish PM’s supporters take to the streets.
‘The important thing is that we want to thank you for all the support we’ve received,’ Sánchez said on Monday. ‘Thanks to this mobilisation, I have decided to continue as Prime Minister.’
‘I ask Spanish society to once again be an example and inspiration for a wounded world,’ the 52-year-old said, calling for a popular mobilisation to ‘decide what we want to be’, which makes way ‘for fair play’.
Spain’s public prosecutor’s office on Thursday requested the dismissal of the investigation into Begoña Gómez’s business dealings. ALSO READ: Spanish prosecutors question credibility of corruption investigation against PM’s wife.
Sánchez started his address to the public on Monday morning by again weighing up the question, ‘Is it worth it to continue [as PM]?’ in the face of ‘attacks’ that he claims he and his wife have received for ‘ten years’ – and which was the reason he had announced last Wednesday that he needed time to reflect and make a decision about his political future.
‘If we allow the most gross lies to substitute evidence-based debate, then it’s not worth it,’ Sánchez said. ‘There is no honour to justify those who want to do that.’
‘If we allow the role of women to be relegated in the domestic sphere, we will have done irreparable damage,’ he also said during his speech, adding that ‘mixing up freedom of expression with freedom of defamation has disastrous consequences’.
‘The smear campaign will not stop, it is serious, but it is not the most relevant thing, we can handle it,’ he said.
ALSO READ: Begoña Gómez, wife of Spanish PM, investigated over alleged corruption.
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