Spain's PM Mariano Rajoy pledges to battle on.http://liveup2dates.blogspot.com/

Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy has fiercely denied corruption allegations, pledging that pledged Spain will see off its worst financial crisis in recent years..http://liveup2dates.blogspot.com/

Mrs Merkel said Germany would support Mr Rajoy's efforts to steer Spain through the crisis

 Mr Rajoy said his Popular Party was committed to reforms that would steer Spain away from the financial crisis.

He rejected opposition calls for his resignation after El Pais published images of ledgers showing secret payments to PP members.

Mr Rajoy said the claims were "totally false". He denies receiving payments.

Speaking alongside German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin, Mr Rajoy said his government remained strong and would overcome the accusations, which have sparked protests and an online petition for his resignation signed by 74,000 people.

Mrs Merkel said Germany would support him in his efforts.Resignation unlikely
A screenshot of the El Pais online edition, 31 January El Pais splashed photos of the alleged ledgers on its website on Thursday

The central claim is that documents published by El Pais are a list of undeclared or secret cash payments linked to senior PP members.

El Pais is adamant the ledgers, dating from 1990 to 2008, were written by the party's former treasurer, Luis Barcenas who stepped down after being implicated in a separate, high-profile corruption case.

Mariano Rajoy's name is written a number of times in the documents. Alongside his name are numbers totalling 25,200 euros for each year, from 1999 to 2008.

On Saturday, two days after the documents were published, the prime minister publicly denied ever having received any secret payments.

He said the allegations against him and his party were false.

The PP has said it will take legal action against those responsible for what it says is a smear campaign, while announcing an internal audit of its finances.

The leader of Spain's main opposition party, Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba, has called for the prime minister to resign, but the BBC's Tom Burridge in Madrid says that as things stand that looks unlikely. The prime minister has said he will publish his earnings online.

Spain's chief prosecutor has said there could be enough evidence to investigate the allegations.