Spain prime minister Pedro Sanchez pledges he will stay in office after days of uncertainty

Pedro Sanchez has taken five days to decide his future

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has said vowed to continue in office “even with more strength” after five days of uncertainty.

Mr Sanchez on Wednesday told the country he would take the time off to think about his future after a court opened preliminary proceedings against his wife on corruption allegations. However, after a period of reflection, he has opted to remain in his post.

“I have decided to continue on with even more strength at the helm of the government of Spain,” he said in a televised speech after informing King Felipe VI of his decision.

Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is to stay in office. Picture: AFP via Getty Images

Get a daily digest of news from around the globe with The World Explained newsletter

“It is a decision that does not mean a return to the status quo. This will mark a before and after, I promise you that.” Mr Sanchez did not detail what steps he could take to curtail “the smear campaign” he says he and his family is facing.

His wife, Begoaa Gomez, faced allegations by a right-wing platform that accused her of using her position to influence business deals.

The group, Manos Limpias, or “Clean Hands”, acknowledged the complaint was based on newspaper articles.

Spanish prosecutors say it should be thrown out.

The prime minister blames the investigation on online news sites politically aligned with the leading opposition Popular Party and the Vox party that spread what he called “spurious” allegations.

Mr Sanchez, 52, has been Spain’s prime minister since 2018. He was able to form a new minority leftist coalition government in November to start another four-year term due to the exceedingly fragile support of a handful of small regional parties.

His resignation would have deprived Europe of its longest-serving Socialist prime minister in charge of a major European Union country right before European elections in June.

The eurozone’s fourth-largest economy had been in suspense since Mr Sanchez posted an emotional letter on X on Wednesday. In that letter, where he declared himself “deeply in love” with his wife, he said he could no longer just stand aside and watch her being targeted by the legal probe.

While popular internationally, Mr Sanchez is loved or despised in Spain.

His supporters say this should be a wake-up call to react against baseless attacks that are poisoning Spanish politics.

The Popular Party, however, said Mr Sanchez’s behaviour was frivolous, adolescent and unbecoming of a European leader. It said the decision was a tactical ploy to whip up support for electoral purposes.