At midday today, Pedro Sánchez will announce his decision as to whether he will continue as the Prime Minister of Spain or if he will step down after taking five days off to reflect on his future. The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) are waiting with bated breath to hear the decision of its leader, who also serves as the party's general secretary.
Little has transpired from those closest to him in his political circle, beyond indicating that, Sánchez will decide on a personal level in a situation where only his wife, Begoña Gómez, and his daughters will have a say.
Sánchez has not seen his ministers since last Wednesday when he surprised everyone by posting a letter addressed to the public on the social network formerly known as Twitter (X), in which he announced that he was clearing his public schedule for a few days to reflect on whether it is worth continuing to lead the Government of Spain. In the same text, he indicated that he would appear before the media today to deliver his decision.
The trigger for this situation was the complaint filed by the organisation ‘Manos Limpias’ against Sánchez's wife for alleged influence and corruption in business dealings, due to her relationships with companies that have received public funds, even though the organisation has publicly acknowledged that it was possibly based on fake news.
On that same Wednesday, a judge in Madrid decided to open preliminary proceedings based on that complaint, and Sánchez responded during the government's session. Without being explicitly asked about the issue, he said, "On a day like today and with the news I have learned, despite everything, I still believe in the justice of my country, in its autonomy, and in its independence."
Hours later, that same afternoon, he published the letter on X. In the text, he denounced a campaign against him and his circle that has been ongoing for months, directly pointing fingers at the leaders of the PP Party and Vox, Alberto Núñez Feijóo and Santiago Abascal.
"In short, it is nothing short of harassment to try to make me falter politically and personally by attacking my wife," he said, including the PP's complaint to the Office of Conflicts of Interest, journalistic reports about his wife, and now the complaint from Manos Limpias.
The decision shocked both the PSOE and caught its political adversaries off guard, as even those closest to him did not know he was going to take that step. However, his party reacted by trying to send messages of support and turned the Federal Committee of last Saturday into a show of support for their leader: "Pedro stay," "you are not alone" echoed in the socialist headquarters on Calle Ferraz, both inside and at the gathering outside in the street.
If Sánchez decides to continue, he could call for a vote of confidence in the Congress of Deputies, an option that his parliamentary partners have pointed out as the most recommended way to resolve this crisis. Some of them, such as ERC and Bildu, have even suggested that they would vote in favour.
If, on the other hand, he resigns, the Government would immediately cease, although it would continue to function until the investiture of a new candidate. It could also call for new general elections, although it would not be effective immediately, and we would have to wait until May 30th, when a year would have passed since the last dissolution of the Cortes.
