Read in Catalan

A new letter from Pedro Sánchez on his X social media profile. The Spanish prime minister has published another statement to the public in which he responds to the court summons of his wife, Begoña Gómez, as a person under investigation for influence peddling and corruption allegations. In this new message he criticizes that the announcement of the decision comes "only five days before the European elections". He sees it as "strange" because "the unwritten rule has usually been followed not to issue resolutions likely to influence the normal development of an electoral campaign and, therefore, the voting of citizens". "It is clear that in this case this practice has not been respected", he says. In this new letter, the Socialist (PSOE) leader also directly addresses Alberto Núñez Feijóo and Santiago Abascal: "They will not break me," is his response to the leaders of the People's Party (PP) and far-right Vox.

Thus, he states that he and his wife are "absolutely calm" because behind the accusation against Begoña Gómez over alleged influence peddling, he says, "there is nothing, just a ridiculous invention promoted by far-right associations". Sánchez recalls that in the letter he published in April, when he took five days to reflect on his future, he already denounced "the drift of the reactionary coalition of Feijóo and Abascal towards using all means at their disposal to break me politically and personally". In fact, he also regrets that, this Monday, Feijóo opened himself to a no-confidence motion that was "against nature" since to succeed it would need the PP to join forces with not only Vox but also the Catalan pro-independence party Together for Catalonia (Junts).

Sánchez affirms that the PP and Vox are "trying to achieve in a spurious way what they did not achieve at the polls". This time the Spanish PM dispels any doubts about his continuity at the head of the executive: "I want to tell you that my decision to continue as leader is firmer than ever and that the task of the progressive coalition government is more necessary than ever."

Having said that, the Socialist politician predicts that in the coming days of the electoral campaign the "far-right coalition" will promote a "choreography" to try to influence the ballot boxes in this Sunday's European election in Spain. "Begoña and I know perfectly well why they are attacking her; neither of us are naive; they are doing so because she is my partner," adds Sánchez, who again comes out in defence of his wife: "She is a hard-working and honest woman who claims her right to work without giving it up because of her husband's responsibilities".

The PP invites Sánchez to hold a press conference

At the same time, PP sources urge Pedro Sánchez to appear in a press conference and give explanations about his wife's business activities. However, the Spanish conservatives are still not putting on the calendar the threat they have made to call the PM to testify in the Senate on this issue, in the commission of inquiry into the Koldo case that exists in the upper house.

At PP headquarters they label the claims made by Pedro Sánchez as "rubbish" and accuse him of "underestimating the intelligence" of Spanish citizens. "Accusing the judges of persecuting him for political reasons is an extremely serious matter that demands evidence or immediate rectification," they add.

Translated: Pedro Sánchez's latest letter to Spaniards 

New letter to citizens,

My wife and I have learned today, through the media, of the summons issued to Begoña as a person under investigation on July 5th.

This decision is announced only five days before elections to the European Parliament are held, which is strange. Usually, the unwritten rule has been followed of not issuing resolutions that could affect the normal development of an election campaign and, therefore, the votes of citizens. In this case, it is evident that this practice has not been respected. I leave it to the reader to draw their own conclusions.

I would like to tell you that we are both absolutely calm. There is nothing behind this accusation, just a crude invention promoted by the right-wing associations who laid the complaints.

However, there is a political reading that I feel obliged to share with you. As you may already remember, in my previous letter I denounced the drift of a reactionary coalition led by Mr Feijóo and Mr Abascal - or by Mr Abascal and Mr Feijóo, the same thing - to use all means within their reach in order to break me on a political and personal level. Their goal is for me to resign, to resign. Even, as we learned yesterday, trying to force my departure from the prime ministerial role through a no-confidence motion through an anti-natural alliance. For them, anything goes.

What they did not achieve at the polls, they intend to achieve spuriously. I also knew that, as the frustration and impotence of this reactionary coalition increased, the pace of the mud machine was not going to stop, but rather accelerate. Faced with this certainty, I asked myself whether or not it was worth continuing in the exercise of my responsibilities.

I want to tell you that my decision to continue leading the government is firmer than ever. That the task of the progressive coalition government is more necessary than ever.

Our horizon remains unchanged: consolidate the rise in economic growth and job creation, as we have just learned today; redistribute the fruits of that growth between the middle class and workers to fight against the greatest injustice, which is inequality; regenerate democratic life demanding fair play, above the mud that some try to spread; advance in rights and freedoms without taking a step back; and contribute to peace in the world, with special attention to Ukraine and Palestine.

In these next few days, you will witness a careful choreography designed by the far-right coalition to try to influence the elections and weaken the government.

Begoña and I know perfectly well why they attack her. Neither of us are naive. They do it because she is my partner.

She is a hard-working and honest woman who claims her right to work without giving it up for the responsibilities of her husband. A right that I defend in my family life and for which I work as prime minister of the government of Spain to guarantee that men and women have the same opportunities and the same rights.

In the days ahead you will read and hear a lot of noise and even more fury in digital tabloids created to spread hoaxes, in television studios and radio talk shows in the service of amplifying this misinformation, and in the platforms where Mr Feijóo and Mr Abascal will throw up their hands in horror. All lies. A big hoax. One more. As for me, rest assured, they won't break me.

And, given that they are trying to interfere in the electoral result on June 9th, I hope their promoters - Mr Feijóo and Mr Abascal - find the response they deserve at the polls: condemnation and rejection of their dirty tricks.

There are a few days of noise left before the elections and a few more before summer. But there are also more than three years of government, of progress and advances.

Sincerely,

Pedro Sánchez