“How useless they are in this and in so many other cases,” was the adjective Gabriel Rufián used to describe the management of the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) leadership in light of recent cases of alleged sexual harassment within the party. The spokesman for Esquerra Republicana in Congress stressed that there is no certainty as to whether decision-makers in the PSOE consider their own approach to the matter to be appropriate. According to Cuatro, these comments came in the context of a renewed public review of the party’s internal policies regarding allegations of sexist behavior.
According to Cuatro, the concern and debate were revived after the broadcast of a report on “Código 10”, the channel’s program, which collected complaints against José Tomé, president of the Lugo provincial council, who was accused by several party colleagues of alleged sexual harassment. Tomé’s case adds to recent antecedents, such as the well-known “Salazar case,” which had already provoked criticism of both the socialist leadership and Moncloa’s response to similar situations.
Rufián’s position, reported by Cuatro, calls into question the PSOE’s safeguards and internal procedures for dealing with these types of complaints. The spokesman stressed the need to strengthen institutional guarantees to those who make allegations and to ensure that mechanisms are in place that provide sufficient protections, both for current complainants and potential future victims. Rufián warned of the lack of clarity and inadequacy of solid protocols, which he said limits internal policies regarding allegations of sexual harassment or sexist behavior.
The Cuatro media widely reported that, during statements in the halls of Congress before the plenary session, the spokesman for the Esquerra Republicana expressed his confusion about how the PSOE is dealing with these recent scandals. Rufián explained that society is having difficulty understanding the attitude of the socialist leadership, especially after the complaints against Francisco Salazar, former government adviser and former party activist, about whom “no one understands what the PSOE is doing, especially what Moncloa did,” as the channel quoted.
In his interventions reported by the media, Rufián reiterated that the party must give priority to the comprehensive protection of those who decide to report inappropriate behavior, underlining his view that the matter has not reached the necessary dimensions up to this point. The spokesman highlighted the lack of effective measures both in responding to the “Salazar case” and in preventing similar incidents, warning of the risks posed by internal protection policies and a weak institutional response.
Cuatro’s broadcast of the report in Código 10, which revealed the complaints against José Tomé, brought to the fore again the debate about the adequacy of the Spanish parties’ internal protocols in the face of complaints of sexual harassment. This new episode increased the pressure on the socialist leadership and on Moncloa and led to calls for a review and updating of procedures for dealing with complainants and preventing future cases.
According to Cuatro, Rufián’s words are part of the growing media and political attention on the credibility of the parties’ protocols in the face of allegations of sexual violence. Cuatro stressed that the continuity of these incidents, in addition to the public statements of leaders such as the Republican spokesman, represents an additional challenge for the national leadership of the PSOE, both to restore public confidence in its equality policies and to justify its ability to put in place effective safeguards against reprisals and silence.
The channel Cuatro’s program contextualized Rufián’s statements by pointing to the impact on the opinion of both members and citizens, as well as the increase in public demands for significant changes in the internal policies to prevent and deal with cases of sexual harassment in the parties. The media highlighted that these events have an impact on the public image of both the PSOE and other parties, reigniting the debate about whether there is a real commitment to transparency and victim protection in the political sphere.
During the demonstrations organized by Cuatro, Rufián insisted that the party had a duty to protect not only those who have already denounced, but also those who might do so in the future. He directly expressed doubts about the ability and willingness of the socialist formation to introduce reforms that would effectively ensure this protection. In its reporting, the channel reflected the climate of questioning of the socialist leadership, characterized by repeated calls for greater transparency and institutional strengthening in the face of such allegations within the party.
The information reported by Cuatro shows that these situations and the way they are addressed by the socialist leadership are helping to shape public perceptions of the parties’ ability to impartially and clearly address complaints of sexual harassment and sexist behavior within them. The channel’s coverage focuses on the relevance of internal proceedings, the impact of the cases on the trust of activists and voters and the challenges facing the PSOE leadership in order to demonstrate with facts the institutional commitment to equality and victim protection.
About The Author
