He PSOE arrives at the end of the year cornered by files which he had rightly made a flag of, as the feminism and corruption. These last few days have been particularly dark: the “horribilis week” of the government of Pedro Sánchez has accumulated a cascade … of complaints of sexual harassment and, at the same time, an intensification of police corruption investigations that led to high-profile arrests and resignations.
The situation has indeed led the opposition and even the government’s partners to toughen up their usual criticism. Vice President Yolanda Díaz demanded a “profound” overhaul of her team and the PPwho have been demanding early elections for months in the face of what they consider to be an untenable situation for the PSOE, have asked, at a minimum, that the president presents himself in a extraordinarily full defend the cases of corruption and harassment that surround his government.
Furthermore, if the agitation is intense within the opposition, it is even more intense within the PSOE itself. Although the formation tried to show strength in these cases ask for forgivenessshowing himself next to the victims and activating all his protocols, the truth is that the discomfort domestic affairs have worsened, partly because attempts are believed to have been made from within to cover up these affairs.
The nascent socialist “Me Too” and the Civil Guard demanding information from official buildings have done damage, but the cascade of falls, whether due to arrests or resignations, has perhaps been even more painful. In any case, the fact that, a little over a week ago, at the gates of the Constitution Bridge, the mismanagement by the party of complaints against Francisco Salazar, former advisor to Pedro Sánchez in La Moncloa and key figure in the federal executive, for inappropriate behavior that reached the internal channel. This has been the “horrible week” of the PSOE.
Sunday December 7
With the pressure exerted on the Salazar case, we learned on Sunday that Sánchez was going to dismiss, on Tuesday in the Council of Ministers, Antonio Hernández, who was Salazar’s right hand in Moncloa. Salazar’s plaintiffs for his inappropriate behavior cited Hernández as an alleged “accomplice” and “cover-up” of the former socialist leader’s conduct toward female party workers.
Meanwhile, in Andalusia, criticism of the party’s handling of cases against women has intensified, notably due to the complaint for sexual harassment filed by the secretary general of the PSOE of Torremolinos (Málaga), Antonio Navarrowhich a few days earlier had already provoked a declaration from socialist activists in Malaga under the message “Not a single woman, nor an attack without response”. Following this position, on Sunday, the mayors of the Córdoba region made a statement of support to their colleagues, thus increasing the pressure.
Monday December 8
On the occasion of the National Day of the Immaculate Conception, Government Spokesperson and Minister of Education, Pilar Alegría, asked for an “apology” on behalf of the Executive to the women who suffered harassment at the Moncloa Palace from Paco Salazar and boasted of having acted with “absolute diligence“. The situation led the PP to request Salazar’s appearance in the Senate due to complaints of alleged sexual harassment.
Tuesday December 9
Tuesday, the termination of functions of Antonio Hernández during the Council of Ministers. The same day, the president spoke for the first time publicly about the crisis generated by the “Salazar case”, but defending that the PSOE had acted accordingly. “Feminism gives us lessons every day, me first,” said Sánchez, who added that “the big difference between the right and the left is that when we receive these lessons, we ask for forgiveness and act accordingly.”
On the other hand, the PSOE ended up dismissing its Torremolinos executive after the complaint of sexual harassment against its general secretary, Antonio Navarro. He refused to hand over his municipal councilor certificate and everything led the provincial leadership to impose a manager in the municipality.
Wednesday December 10
Part of the attention turned to Galicia, after learning that on Monday the federal leadership of the PSOE had received another anonymous complaint for “sexist behavior”, in this case against the president of the PSOE. Lugo Provincial Councilprovincial secretary of the PSdeG and mayor of Monforte, José Tomé. He himself denied the accusations and announced legal measures.
“There is no proof, none, and there cannot be, because it is not true,” he said a few hours before his case took a turn. The pressure was such that at 5 p.m. he called the media and confirmed that he would tender his “voluntary” resignation as president of the Provincial Council of Lugo and he would leave his functions at the PSdeG to be able to defend himself “freely” against the facts attributed to him.
But the big news of the day is that the former PSOE activist Leire Diez and the former president of SEPI (which is the investment arm of the Ministry of Finance) Vicente Fernández were detained on the orders of the National Court as part of a secret operation linked to irregular hiring between 2021 and 2023. There was a third detainee, Antxón AlonsoSantos Cerdán’s partner in Servinabar (the company Cerdán owns), although this was only revealed to the media on Thursday.
Thursday December 11
A new setback. Javier Izquierdomember of the Socialist Federal Executive and senator from Valladolid, ended up announcing, by surprise and through his social networks, that he resigned and left all his positions. There were no official complaints against him, but many saw his departure as symptomatic, at least in such a difficult week for the party, and it quickly became apparent that “sloppy behavior” was weighing on him.
Regarding the crisis in the UCO archives, early in the morning, the Civil Guard carried out files in around twenty companies linked to Servinabar, in operations framed in the same investigation for which Díez, Fernández and Alonso were arrested. Performances took place in Madrid, Seville and Zaragoza.
On the other hand, the Economic and Fiscal Crime Unit (UDEF) of the National Police searched the airline’s headquarters. Plus Ultra, which was saved precisely in 2021 by the PSOE through the SEPI, as part of an investigation for alleged money laundering. New setback for Sánchez. From this operation they remained its president, Julio Martínez, its CEO, Roberto Roselli and a third person were arrested.
On Thursday, it was paradoxical that the same Pedro Sanchez He was not present at the plenary session of the Congress of Deputies because he had to connect on a video conference about the Coalition of the Volunteers for Ukraine, which was highly criticized by the opposition and even more so given the current difficult times.
Friday December 12
After days of silence, the organization’s secretary, Rebeca Torró, spoke to the media to try to denounce the cases of harassment, notably that of Paco Salazar, whose complaints had arrived in July. “Neither I nor anyone from this organization tried to conceal or cover up any affair,” declared the spokesperson, during an appearance during which she announced that the PSOE will not bring detected cases to the prosecutor’s office and confirmed that they opened files briefings with Antonio Hernández, Salazar’s former right-hand man, and Javier Izquierdo.
It is also particularly remarkable that the number two of the Galician PSOE tried to convince, as ABC argued, a victim not to denounce Tomé. That day, the socialist leader of Lugo formalized his resignation from office as president of the Provincial Council, even if this has not yet been accepted in plenary session at the end of the month. This affair led to resignation of the Secretary for Equality of the Galician PSOE, Silvia Fraga.
On the other hand, ABC discovered a new possible case of sexual harassment, with the mayor of Belalcazar (Córdoba), Francisco Luis Fernández Rodríguez, as protagonist. A few hours later, he himself informed the Provincial Directorate of the PSOE of his decision to present his “irrevocable” resignation as an advisor, as well as requesting his resignation as a party member.
And as if that were not enough, eldiario.es announced that the PSOE was investigating another complaint for sexual and workplace harassment against the mayor of Almussafes (Valencia), Toni González. Like others, he himself said in a statement that the accusations against him “were absolutely false” and that he would take legal action. On Saturday, his case would also take a turn.
At the same time, the UCO of the Civil Guard, on orders from the National Court, entered official buildings to gather information on irregularities. The agents were notably in the headquarters of the Ministries of Finance and Ecological Transition, as well as the Post Office, seeking public contracts and other evidence against Leire Díaz and detained SEPI officials.
Saturday December 13
From Valencia, Mayor Almussafes announced his abandonment of all its organic positions and requested his suspension from PSOE activism in an official statement in which he said it was a “false complaint”. He stressed that he would continue to work as the first mayor of Almussafes “for the neighbors”, of the Mixed Municipal Group.
On the other hand, Leire Díaz, Vicente Fernández and Anchun Alonso, still detained, testified before the judge for their alleged irregularities in public procurement and were freedom with precautionary measures. They will have to appear in court on the 1st and 15th of each month and will have their passports taken away and will be banned from leaving the country. Also this Saturday, the judge accepted the release with precautionary measures of three detainees in the Plus Ultra case.
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