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Pedro Sánchez’s efforts to reset Spain’s ruling socialist party after damaging corruption allegations that threatened to topple his coalition government have suffered a severe setback after a party official resigned over accusations of sexual harassment.
The prime minister had hoped this weekend’s meeting of the federal committee of his Spanish Socialist Workers’ party (PSOE) would help the party move past weeks of scandals that have undermined the ethical and anti-corruption pledges on which it came to power seven years ago.
But such hopes were flattened late on Friday night after the online newspaper elDiario published allegations from various female PSOE workers who said they had been subjected to sexual harassment by Francisco Salazar, who oversaw institutional coordination at the Moncloa palace, the office and official residence of the prime minister.
The accusations prompted Salazar to announce on Saturday that he was stepping down from that post and from his new role as a deputy in the PSOE’s organisational secretariat.
He told elDiario he could not recall any inappropriate interactions. “I’ve racked my brains over it and it seems mind-boggling to me,” he said. “I keep wondering if I’ve screwed up and said something inappropriate to a workmate, and the truth is, I can’t find [an example].”
Sources at Moncloa, in Madrid, said an investigation had been launched, but added that no official complaints had so far been made against Salazar.
On Saturday, Sánchez apologised again for what he called his misplaced confidence in those accused of wrongdoing, adding: “I was wrong to place my trust in people who didn’t deserve it, but we won’t fall short in a time of democratic regeneration.”
The prime minister, who is under growing pressure to call a snap election, said he had no intention of stepping down.
“The captain doesn’t shirk his responsibility when the sea gets rough; he stays put to ride out the storm and guide the ship to port,” he said.
Salazar’s resignation is the latest blow to the prime minister’s authority and judgment.
On Monday, Santos Cerdán – who served as the PSOE’s organisational secretary and was Sánchez’ right-hand man – was remanded in custody after a supreme court judge found “firm evidence” of his possible involvement in taking kickbacks on public construction contracts.
The investigation began after the Guardia Civil police anti-corruption unit handed material to the court that suggested Cerdán had discussed taking such kickbacks with the former PSOE transport minister José Luis Ábalos and one of the minister’s aides, Koldo García. Ábalos and García are also under investigation and have denied wrongdoing. Cerdán, who stepped down from his party role and resigned his parliamentary seat shortly after the news broke, has vowed to clear his name.
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Sánchez, who became prime minister in 2018 after using a motion of no confidence to turf the corruption-mired conservative People’s party (PP) out of government, is already contending with graft investigations relating to his wife and his brother, who deny any wrongdoing. A former PSOE member was also recently implicated in an alleged smear campaign against the Guardia Civil unit investigating the corruption allegations.
The PP said the latest allegations were further proof of the prime minister’s poor judgment and his unfitness to lead the country.
“He has no credibility and his supposed fight against corruption and sexism is mere posturing,” PP sources said on Saturday. “Sánchez is as good at being prime minister as he is at talent-spotting. Either there aren’t many decent people in his party or he’s not very good at choosing people who deserve to be in Spanish politics.”
Calls for a fresh election are also beginning to bubble up within some sections of the socialist party. Emiliano García-Page, the PSOE president of the Castilla-La Mancha region, said the time had come to let parliament and the people have their say.
According to elDiario, García-Page used Saturday’s party meeting to ask Sánchez to consider holding a confidence vote in parliament. “I don’t know if we’ll win it,” he said. “But if we don’t, then don’t rule out the option of calling an election.”
