Pedro Sanchez stays on as Spain's prime minister after weighing exit
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00:00He took Spain by surprise when he announced he was considering stepping down after a court
00:06opened a business corruption probe into his wife.
00:09But Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has now decided to continue in office.
00:14I have decided to stay on.
00:18To stay on with more strength, if possible, as head of the government of Spain.
00:22I reaffirm my commitment before you to carry out my duties without tiring, with firmness
00:28and serenity, to rejuvenate our democracy and to consolidate rights and freedoms.
00:36Last week, Sanchez, the head of Spain's Socialist Party, said he was halting public duties to
00:42reflect on his future.
00:44The announcement came not long after a Madrid court said it would investigate his wife,
00:48Begoña Gómez, following accusations of influence peddling brought against her by Manos Limpias,
00:54an organisation whose leader is linked to the far right.
00:58According to online news site El Confidencial, investigators are examining alleged ties between
01:03Gómez and tourism group Globalia, whose airline secured a huge bailout during the Covid-19
01:09crisis.
01:10Sanchez said the accusations were the latest bid by his political opponents to undermine
01:15him.
01:16Thousands of his supporters took to the streets in Madrid over the weekend, urging him not
01:20to resign.
01:21I have come here to demonstrate because of all the media pressure against the government.
01:27And the fraudulent use by the judiciary of a case such as that of the president's wife,
01:32where there is not yet sufficient basis for a trial.
01:39Opposition parties, meanwhile, accused him of avoiding his responsibilities and of having
01:44no intention to resign.
01:46Public prosecutors in Madrid have called for the probe to be thrown out due to lack of
01:50evidence.
01:52On Thursday, Manos Limpias acknowledged in a statement that its accusations may be based
01:56on incorrect media reports.