Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said he would not resign amid corruption allegations against his wife.
He made the announcement on Monday after several days of deliberation, as quoted by El Pais.
Sanchez said he would remain at the government’s head despite the “campaign of persecution” against his wife, Begoña Gomez.
He said he had received messages of support from both his party members and people in the separatist region of Catalonia.
“Thanks to this mobilization, I have decided to continue to lead the government,” Sanchez said.
“I ask Spanish society to set an example again. The evil that plagues us is part of a global movement. Let’s demonstrate to the world the defense of democracy,” he continued.
For the past five days, the socialist leader has been absent from public life to reflect on his future.
Supporters of his Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party called on Sanchez to stay. Thousands of people came from all over Spain to a rally in Madrid on Saturday to support Sanchez.
Sanchez denies the allegations against his wife, Begoña Gomez. He says it is part of a long-running smear campaign against him and his family by political opponents.
The closed investigation, still in its early stages, has yet to officially name Gomez as a suspect. Manos Limpias, a group known for filing lawsuits against the government, filed a complaint that served as the basis for the investigation.
The lawsuit accuses Sanchez’s wife of engaging in influence peddling and corruption while working at the IE Africa Center. She allegedly facilitated the receipt of government subsidies for several companies she worked with.
The prosecutor’s office in Madrid announced last Thursday that it had requested the dismissal of the corruption case against Sanchez’s wife.
