- Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Wednesday announced in a letter posted to X, formerly Twitter, that all his public duties have been put on hold as he mulls whether to resign. New York Times (LR: 2 CP: 5)
- The 52-year-old, who came to power six years ago after leading a no-confidence vote against conservative leader Mariano Rajoy, is set to announce his decision next Monday. GB News
- This comes as a judge in Madrid has opened a preliminary corruption and influence peddling investigation into Sánchez's wife, Begoña Gómez, following a criminal complaint by the Manos Limpias trade union. POLITICO
- The anti-corruption group, however, acknowledged Thursday that its allegations could be false, as they were based on media reports about links between Begoña Gómez and private companies that secured government money. BBC News
- Prosecutors in Madrid have requested dismissal of the case, with the appeal expected to take months to be heard in a separate court. In the meantime, the investigation into Begoña Gómez remains sealed. Al Jazeera (LR: 2 CP: 1)
- If Sánchez resigns, his government would enter into caretaker status while the king conducts consultations to appoint a new leader. New early elections would take place two months later if the candidate fails to secure enough support. La Vanguardia
Left narrative:
- As if ad hominem attacks against the prime minister weren't enough, ultra-conservatives in Spain have decided to launch a baseless lawfare campaign against Sánchez's family. This level of toxicity in politics may be too much even for a political survivor such as Sánchez.
EL PAÍS ENGLISH
Right narrative:
- Begoña Gómez has not been formally indicted yet, so Sánchez's reaction to the investigation certainly sounds an alarm, especially as a corruption case in his government — the Koldo Case — has just been unveiled.
VOZ MEDIA
Nerd narrative:
- There's a 20% chance that Spain will announce a snap general election before January 1, 2025, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
METACULUS (LR: 3 CP: 3)