International digital covers of major media outlets have reported on Thursday the news of a possible resignation by Pedro Sánchez as the Prime Minister of Spain. Shortly after seven in the evening on Wednesday, the socialist president announced in an unprecedented Letter to the Citizens that he was taking a few days to reflect on his continued leadership of the government and would announce his decision on Monday. The cause, the letter stated, were the attacks “from the right and the far-right” against his wife, Begoña Gómez; and the final trigger, the opening of judicial proceedings against Gómez following a lawsuit from Manos Limpias. This is a summary of the news reported by foreign press.
The New York Times mentioned the news in its digital edition, although in a discreet position. Bloomberg, a primarily economic and financial media outlet, highlighted Sánchez’s intention to resign in its European edition, also suggesting the possibility of early elections. The BBC titled their coverage “The Spanish Prime Minister suspends public activities while his wife faces investigation,” underscoring the need for reflection by the Spanish president. The Financial Times placed the news prominently on its digital edition, introducing the word “corruption” in the title regarding the investigation against Sánchez’s wife. The Guardian in the UK emphasized the “harassment” of Begoña Gómez and her impact on Sánchez’s potential resignation.
The Telegraph, a conservative British media outlet, also covered the story on its front page, albeit in a more discreet manner. Le Monde in France featured the possible resignation of Sánchez on its front page, emphasizing the investigation against his wife. Italian newspapers La Repubblica and La Stampa reported on Sánchez’s threat to resign due to accusations of corruption against his wife. Meanwhile, the German Süddeutsche Zeitung described Sánchez’s recent actions with the headline “Anger, Resignation, and Self-Pity,” and the Frankfurter Allgemeine wondered “Does Pedro Sánchez really resign?”.
Portuguese media outlet Público highlighted the cancellation of Pedro Sánchez’s agenda on its front page to evaluate his potential continuation in government. POLITICO’s European edition also prominently featured Sánchez’s resignation threat on its front page. Across continents, major print and broadcast media outlets covered the news of Sánchez’s possible resignation. Al Jazeera in Qatar, China Morning Post in Asia, and Hurriyet in Turkey all linked Sánchez’s resignation threat to the investigation into his wife. Brazilian outlets Folha do Sao Paulo and O Globo, as well as Argentine newspapers La Nación and Clarín, reported on the reasons given by Sánchez in his letter. In Chile, El Mercurio carried the news in its print edition.
Overall, the international media coverage highlighted Pedro Sánchez’s potential resignation as a significant development, with some outlets focusing on the alleged corruption investigations against his wife Begoña Gómez. The impact of the situation on the political landscape in Spain and the potential for early elections were also topics of interest for foreign news organizations. As Sánchez’s decision deadline looms, the global media landscape continues to monitor the evolving political situation in Spain.
