Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is considering stepping down from the country's top job after his wife, Begoña Gomez, became embroiled in corruption charges.
According to Euronews, the leader of the ruling Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) was considering resignation due to what he called an "unprecedented smear campaign" against his wife by a right-wing group.
Hours before Sanchez announced his intentions, a Madrid judge agreed to look into corruption allegations against Ms. Gomez made by a private group with a history of filing lawsuits for right-wing causes.
However, the regional prosecutor recommended dismissing the complaint. It is up to the court whether to dismiss it or open full investigations with a view to trial.
Either way, the court would have the authority to summon witnesses, which could further embarrass Sanchez and Gomez.
Local media reported earlier this week that he was canceling all official events until next week to contemplate the matter.
If Sanchez resigns, Spanish monarch King Felipe VI will have to consult with parties with representations in the lower house of the Cortes Generales, Spain's parliament, to see if any party or coalition could gather enough support to form a new government.
While PSOE and its coalition have enough seats to retain power, including the crossbenchers who are more aligned with it, no one in the party or its junior partner Sumar is as charismatic as Sanchez.
There is also the threat of the main opposition, the People's Party (PP), which garnered more seats than PSOE alone in the latest general elections last year.
However, even if the PP formed a coalition with the far-right Vox party and the sole MP of the Navarrese People's Union (UPN), such a coalition would become a minority government.
Sanchez could also decide to face a no-confidence vote from MPs, which he could win with a simple majority based on the number of seats aligned with PSOE. This path could be a strategic move for him ahead of the regional elections in Spain's Catalonia region this coming May and the European elections in June.
Sanchez could also announce early elections. However, to comply with the country's constitution, the parliament could not be dissolved before May 29.
Earlier this year, PP's conflict of interest complaint accusing Gomez of allegedly influencing her husband in a decision related to an airline was tossed out.
