Spain demands Argentina president’s public apology for ‘corrupt wife’ comment

Amid a worsening diplomatic crisis between the Hispanic allies, Spain on Monday sought a "public apology" from Argentina's President Javier Milei for referring to Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's wife as "corrupt."
The ambassador to Buenos Aires has already been recalled by the socialist government. On Cadena Ser radio, Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares announced that he would call the ambassador of Argentina on Monday.

"I will elucidate to him the seriousness of the circumstance and I will once more insist on a public apology from Javier Milei," Albares declared.

If an apology was not given, Albares stated that he would not rule out cutting diplomatic ties with Argentina.
"Clearly, we do not want to take these actions, but we will if there isn't a public apology," the minister said.
The far-right Vox party in Spain staged a convention in Madrid, and the tub-thumping leader of Argentina infuriated the Spanish government.

Without naming her, Milei attacked Begona Gomez, the wife of Sanchez, and lashed out at socialism.
Milei claimed that "the global elites are unaware of the devastation that can result from putting socialist principles into practice."

"They have no idea what kind of society and nation that can create, what kind of people hold onto power, and how much abuse that leads to."

"Let's say it gets dirty with a corrupt wife, and you take five days to think about it," he continued.
The prime minister of Spain recently gave thought to leaving after his wife was the target of a hastily closed preliminary corruption probe by Spanish prosecutors.

Hours after Milei's outburst, Spain pulled back its ambassador, and Albares denounced the "insult" made by the visiting president. Milei's most recent statements were also denounced by Josep Borrell, the head of the European Union's foreign policy.

The administration of Milei has shown no remorse. Guillermo Francos, Argentina's interior minister, declared, "There is no apology to make." "In my opinion, the Spanish government ought to extend regret for the remarks made about Milei," he stated to the TN television network.

As soon as Milei landed in Spain on Friday, diplomatic tensions erupted because neither Sanchez nor King Felipe VI were scheduled to meet with him. On his first day in Spain, Milei criticised socialism, calling it "satanic."
Self-described "anarcho-capitalist" Milei was elected in November of last year and took office with a platform of paying down Argentina's enormous public debt to zero.

As a result of his austerity measures, the government has cut back on energy, gasoline, and transportation subsidies.

Several far-right and populist European politicians, including Milei, gave live or recorded speeches at the Madrid conference.

The ceremony featured remarks from France's far-right leader, Marine Le Pen, as well as video messages from Giorgia Meloni, the prime minister of Italy, and Viktor Urban, the prime minister of Hungary.