Spanish premier Pedro Sanchez has announced that he will not step down amid a corruption probe into his wife’s affairs, averting the threat of political gridlock in Madrid.

After meeting with King Felipe VI earlier on Monday, the left-leaning prime minister, who had stepped away from his duties as he mulled his response, vowed to continue in office “with even more strength”.

The 52-year-old Sanchez had surprised all when he said on Wednesday that he was taking time off to “reflect” on whether to resign, despite having insisted that the probe against his wife Begona Gomez was organised by Spain’s rival conservative political forces.

The prospect of Sanchez’s resignation last week had sparked some turmoil, with demonstrations organised both for and against him.

However, the Socialist Party leadership put its support behind the premier, while left-wing global leaders like Brazil’s Lula da Silva and Colombia’s Gustavo Petro also backed him.

This is a developing story and will be updated soon …