MADRID (Reuters) – Spain recalled its ambassador to Buenos Aires for consultations on Sunday after Argentina’s president Javier Milei made derogatory comments about the wife of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez during a far-right meeting in Madrid.
Milei had called Sanchez’s wife Begona Gomez “corrupt” during a rally in Madrid organized by the far-right Vox party and attended by many of its international allies.
Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said he expected an apology from Milei.
Other ministers also condemned Milei’s speech, in which he described socialism as “cursed and carcinogenic.” Sanchez heads the Spanish Socialist Party.
“With his behavior, Milei has brought the relationship between Spain and Argentina to the most serious state in recent history,” Albares said in a video statement.
Milei’s visit broke diplomatic protocol when he declined to meet Spanish King Felipe and Sanchez, preferring to promote his book alongside Vox leader Santiago Abascal at the party meeting.
The European Union’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a post on social messaging app X that “attacks on family members of political leaders have no place in our culture.”
Spain’s main opposition party, the conservative People’s Party (PP), refused to back Madrid’s position, with party sources saying Sánchez should have explained the alleged corruption case weeks ago.
“His silence causes internal doubts, but also distrust abroad,” a PP source said, adding that the party’s job was to oppose the Spanish government and not Milei.
A city court said in April it was investigating allegations of influence peddling and corporate corruption against Sanchez’s wife, who had been filed a private complaint by Manos Limpias, or Clean Hands, an anti-corruption activist group.
However, Madrid’s prosecutor later said it was appealing to have the case dismissed for lack of evidence.
Sánchez decided to remain in office after five days of considering his future after the investigation against his wife was announced.
(Reporting by Ana Cantero; Editing by Catarina Demony and Giles Elgood)
