Europe live: Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez says he will not resign

Pedro Sánchez, Spain’s prime minister, has announced that he staying on in his role.

His decision comes days after the Spanish leader abruptly announced he was considering resigning from office, after a Madrid court said it had opened an investigation into Sánchez’s wife, Begoña Gómez.

The investigation followed a complaint from the pressure group Manos Limpias (Clean Hands), which is known to have had links in the past to Spain’s far right.

In a dramatic speech this morning, Sánchez said he decided to continue as prime minister and called for a collective reflection, as well as cleaning up what he described as toxic practices in public life.

He called on Spanish society to become an example and inspiration for the world.

“I have acted out of a clear conviction,” Sánchez said. “Either we say enough, or this degradation of public life will determine our future, condemning us as a country,” he added.

“Thanks to that social mobilisation, which has influenced my decision, I can tell you what I’ve already told our head of state: I’ve decided to stay and fight even harder as prime minister,” he said.

He also called for an end to political and media attacks, adding: “Let’s stop this mud-slinging by collectively rejecting it … I ask Spanish society to once again become an example and an inspiration to a wounded world.”

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The conservative Popular party’s Isabel Díaz Ayuso, the regional president of Madrid, has accused Pedro Sánchez of trying to undermine checks.

“Sánchez has spent years using institutions to persecute political adversaries, judges, the media and journalists, as well as their family circles. His project today is a warning to us that it he will roll over any counterweight that reminds him that there are limits. In the name of impunity,” she said.

Sumar’s Yolanda Díaz, who serves as Spain’s deputy prime minister, sent a message to the conservative Popular party’s Alberto Núñez Feijóo.

“Mr Feijóo, stop questioning the results that emerged legitimately from the ballot box. Mr Feijóo, respect this country. If we’ve reached a full stop, then this new phase has to be about political initiatives and measures,” she said.

Here are the key lines from Pedro Sánchez’s speech this morning.

“If we don’t say, ‘Enough!’, then this degradation of public life will condemn our future as a country. It’s true that I’ve taken this step for personal reasons, but these are motives that everyone can understand and recognise because they are about the values that form the bedrock of Spain’s supportive and family-base society.”

“It is thanks to this social mobilisation that has so decisively influenced my reflections – and of which I am once again grateful – that I want to let you know what I’ve decided. As I told the head of state this very morning, I have decided to stay on as Spain’s prime minister and to stay on with even more strength than before – if that’s possible.”

“I think our country needs to embark on that collective reflection. But I actually think we’ve already begun to do that over the past five days. It’s a collective reflection that will lead to a cleaning, a regeneration, to a sense of fair play. For too long, we’ve allowed mud to colonise political and public life with impunity and to infect them with toxic actions that would have been unthinkable even a few years ago.”

“Today, I’m asking Spanish society for us once again to set an example for a convulsed and wounded world. Because the evils that afflict us are far from exclusive to Spain. They are part of a global reactionary movement that wants to impose its retrograde agenda through defamation and falsehoods, through hatred and through stirring up fears and threats that have nothing to do with science or reason.

Let’s show the world how we defend democracy. Let’s put an end to this mud in the only possible way: through a collective rejection that is calm and democratic, and which goes beyond parties and ideologies. It is something I firmly commit to leading as the prime minister of Spain.”

Iratxe García Pérez, a Spanish socialist who leads the Socialists and Democrats group in the European parliament, also welcomed Sánchez’s move to stay on.

“Good for Spain, good for Europe,” she said.

Here are the latest images from Spain.

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The Socialists’ Patxi López said today’s decision shows “the insult does not win the argument”.

“Today democracy wins,” he said.

Oscar Puente, Spain’s transport minister, celebrated Sánchez’s decision to stay.

Santos Cerdán León, the Socialist party’s secretary, said “we are going to continue working tirelessly.”

Salvador Illa, a former socialist health minister and candidate for regional president for the Catalan branch of the socialist party in the upcoming 12 May Catalan election, welcomed Pedro Sánchez’s decision.

“This is the best news for Catalonia,” Illa wrote. “A brave decision to recover the dignity of politics and a commitment to stop those who try to undermine our democracy,” he added.

Pedro Sánchez, Spain’s prime minister, has announced that he staying on in his role.

His decision comes days after the Spanish leader abruptly announced he was considering resigning from office, after a Madrid court said it had opened an investigation into Sánchez’s wife, Begoña Gómez.

The investigation followed a complaint from the pressure group Manos Limpias (Clean Hands), which is known to have had links in the past to Spain’s far right.

In a dramatic speech this morning, Sánchez said he decided to continue as prime minister and called for a collective reflection, as well as cleaning up what he described as toxic practices in public life.

He called on Spanish society to become an example and inspiration for the world.

“I have acted out of a clear conviction,” Sánchez said. “Either we say enough, or this degradation of public life will determine our future, condemning us as a country,” he added.

“Thanks to that social mobilisation, which has influenced my decision, I can tell you what I’ve already told our head of state: I’ve decided to stay and fight even harder as prime minister,” he said.

He also called for an end to political and media attacks, adding: “Let’s stop this mud-slinging by collectively rejecting it … I ask Spanish society to once again become an example and an inspiration to a wounded world.”

Read the full story.

View image in fullscreen

Spanish media outlets are highlighting that no one knows which path Pedro Sánchez will choose.