MADRID, April 27 (Worldstreetnews) – Thousands of Socialist Party supporters flocked to Madrid from all over Spain on Saturday to urge Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to stay, after he surprised the country this week by announcing that he might resign from his position.
Sánchez announced this Wednesday that he will resign “for a few days” to decide whether to continue leading the Government after a court opened an investigation for corruption in his wife’s private businesses.
He said it was part of an ongoing smear campaign by political opponents against him and his family.
Sánchez denies the accusations against his wife Begoña Gómez and said he will decide on his future on Monday.
“Prime Minister, stay, Pedro, stay. We are on their side,” said María Jesús Montero, deputy prime minister and finance minister, during a meeting of the federal committee of the Socialist Party at its headquarters in Madrid.
Outside, euphoric fans gathered in the street and played popular pop songs urging Sanchez to stay. Many waved flags or wore face paint.
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According to the Spanish government, around 12,500 supporters participated in the demonstration.
“I hope he continues because Spain must continue with him. Otherwise, it scares me. We are afraid of what could happen,” Leonor Romero, 56, a councillor in the city of Huelva, in southern Spain, told Reuters.
“You must move forward. I don’t think he will resign. It will leave us orphans,” said José Luis Trigo, a 74-year-old pensioner.
Opposition parties condemned Sánchez’s decision.
“I ask all citizens not to be fooled. Spain does not have problems, those who have problems with justice are Sánchez, his government, his party and his environment.
Let them solve the problem, said Alberto Núñez Feijoo, leader of the conservative Popular Party (PP), at a rally in Tarragona, Catalonia.
A PP survey carried out by the Sigmados Institute found that 54.1% of respondents believe that Sánchez’s reflection period is a “political strategy” that we must defeat in the face of the Catalan elections on May 12 and the elections to the June European Parliament.
Some 56.4% of 1,527 respondents said they believe Sánchez will not resign on Monday, while 21.2% said they believe the prime minister will call parliament for a vote of confidence.
Madrid prosecutors said Thursday they will appeal the city court’s decision Wednesday to investigate a private lawsuit brought by a group of far-right activists against Gómez for influence peddling and alleged corporate corruption.
Sánchez came to power in 2018.
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