Pedro Sánchez will appear to explain his continuity as president
The president of the Spanish government, Pedro Sánchez, will make an appearance this Monday at twelve noon to explain whether he remains in office. This decision comes after a judge in Madrid opened proceedings against his wife, Begoña Gómez, for an alleged crime of influence peddling. In a letter published on social networks, Sánchez announced that he was giving himself five days to reflect on his continuation as head of government. Since then, there has been an almost complete hermeticism around Sánchez, who has not participated in the events of the Catalan campaign or in the Socialist Federal Committee held on Saturday.
Strong support for the president by the PSOE rank and file
The PSOE leadership meeting held at the weekend in Madrid served to show strong support for the president. For almost two hours, leaders, members of the executive and territorial barons asked Sánchez not to resign, appealing to the history of the party and the challenges that Spain still faces. In addition, outside the socialist headquarters in Carrer Ferraz, around 12,000 people gathered to show their support for the president.
Speculations about the future of Sánchez
Since the announcement of Sánchez’s retirement, various options have been speculated about his future. Apart from the resignation, other possibilities that are raised are to submit to a question of confidence in the Congress to check the supports he has or to continue at the head of the government. Several political formations, such as Junts or the PNB, have asked Sánchez not to resign.
Support from the left and criticism from the right
Since the announcement of the reflection, Sánchez has received the support of the left, including formations such as Sumar, Podem or ERC, as well as unions and former president José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero. On the other hand, the right has accused him of victimhood and of putting justice and the media in the spotlight.