Thousands participate in a march in support of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez

Thousands of supporters of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez demonstrated in the streets of Madrid in an attempt to persuade him not to resign.

The socialist leader surprised the country on Wednesday by announcing that he was canceling all his official engagements in order to think about his future.

The decision was taken after the court opened a preliminary investigation into his wife regarding allegations of corruption.

Sanchez will announce the decision on his future on Monday.

Socialist supporters traveled by bus from all over the country to attend a demonstration in support of Sanchez outside his party's headquarters in Madrid, chanting “Pedro, don't give up” and “You are not alone.”

One of those supporters, Sara Dominguez, a consultant in her 30s, said she hoped the Sánchez government had “taken good steps on behalf of women, the LGBT community and minorities.”

Jose Maria Diez, a 44-year-old government official who came from Valladolid in northern Spain to express his support, said there was a real possibility that the far right would take power if Sanchez resigned.

“This would mean a step backwards for our rights and freedoms,” he said.

The central government delegation in Madrid said that 12,500 people participated.

Sanchez announced his decision to consider his resignation on the same day it was revealed that a Madrid court had opened an investigation into his wife, Begonia Gomez, after allegations of influence peddling.

The accusations were brought against her by the organization Manos Limpias (Clean Hands), which is led by a man linked to the far right called Miguel Bernad.

The preliminary investigation is looking into Ms. Gomez's ties to private companies that received government funds or public contracts.

Specifically, it examines the relationship between an organization it runs called IE Africa Center and the tourism group Globalia, whose airline Air Europe received a €475m (£407m) bailout during the Covid-19 crisis.

Sanchez and his allies insist that these allegations, which have been widely reported by right-wing media, are false.

On Thursday, prosecutors in Madrid demanded that the investigation be dropped due to insufficient evidence. Mr. Bernad's lawsuit consists of news snippets, one of which has already been proven to be false.

Sanchez, who leads a coalition government, said the accusations against his wife were the latest attempt by right-wing parties and the media to undermine him.

“A false lawsuit should not bring down the prime minister,” said Emiliano Garcia Page, the Socialist president of the Castilla-La Mancha region and one of Sánchez’s biggest critics within his party.

He earlier spoke before the Federal Committee of the Socialist Party, which Sánchez did not attend.

Also speaking at the meeting, María Jesús Montero, First Deputy Prime Minister, denounced the “brutal far right and the complicit and cowardly right.”

“Prime Minister stay. Pedro stay. We are with you,” she said. Ms Montero will be interim prime minister if Sánchez resigns on Monday.

Alternatively, there is speculation that he may call a parliamentary confidence vote to strengthen his position or call an election, although that would not be possible until the end of May.

However, opposition politicians accused Sánchez of playing the victim and having no intention of resigning.

He added: “The most dangerous thing is the authoritarian evasions of the Prime Minister and his government, who believe that they enjoy immunity, in refusing to accept democracy that we have not seen since then.” [dictator Francisco] Franco,” said conservative People’s Party leader Alberto Nuñez Viejo.