The Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) is experiencing one of its most sensitive internal crises concerning the handling of the so-called “Salazar case.” This scandal involves allegations of sexual harassment and abuse of power linked to former Moncloa adviser Paco Salazar and his associate, Antonio Hernández. Both individuals, until recently, were integral members of the Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s inner circle, who is presently encircled by multiple corruption cases.
Who is Paco Salazar and what accusations is he facing
Francisco José “Paco” Salazar, a veteran member of the PSOE from Seville, served as the mayor of Montellano and subsequently became a member of the Spanish Congress. He also held key positions with Pedro Sánchez at the party’s headquarters in Ferraz and at the Moncloa Palace.
In recent months, numerous female Socialist members and staff who were employed under his supervision have internally reported behaviors they characterize as sexual harassment and abuse of power: comments with sexual undertones, relentless invitations to private meetings beyond working hours, and proposals to let them stay at his residence, consistently within a framework of hierarchical dependence.
As a consequence of these grievances, Salazar was relieved of his duties within the party and no longer holds a role in the federal executive, in addition to losing his influential position in Moncloa. The incidents are under investigation following the PSOE’s internal anti-harassment procedures and might result in legal proceedings should the complainants choose to advance, yet for now, there is quiet.
The position held by Antonio Hernández, the ousted confidant
Antonio Hernández, until now director of the Political Coordination Department in Moncloa and a key figure in the Government’s political machinery, was considered Salazar’s right-hand man and his main support in day-to-day matters.
The women who reported Salazar also pointed to Hernández as an alleged “accomplice” and “cover-up” of the abuses, arguing that he was aware of the circumstances and failed to act to protect the victims, a claim he denies.
In the midst of the scandal, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez chose to advocate for his removal from both Moncloa and the organizational framework of the Andalusian PSOE, a decision that has been formalized by the Council of Ministers in recent days and has been seen as an effort to cauterize the crisis and eliminate any semblance of complicity with the behavior attributed to Salazar.
Criticism of the PSOE’s internal handling and delayed response
Various press reports indicate that the PSOE took more than four months to formally contact the victims after the first complaints became known, which has generated strong internal backlash and severely damaged the party’s image. The functioning of the anti-harassment committee itself has been questioned for its slowness, lack of coordination and poor communication with the federal leadership, in a party that prides itself on its feminist orientation.
At the same time, voices critical of socialism are advocating for a comprehensive overhaul of internal protocols and organizational culture, aiming to eliminate what they term as “protective environments for alleged aggressors” and to address the neglect faced by women who come forward.
The position of Pedro Sánchez’s Government
The Government’s spokesperson and Minister of Education, Pilar Alegría, has insisted that the Executive has acted with “speed and determination” once it had formal knowledge of the accusations, highlighting Salazar’s dismissal, his removal from the PSOE executive and, now, the sacking of Antonio Hernández.
Alegría has publicly acknowledged that her recent lunch with Salazar —which took place when the complaints were already known— was a “mistake”, stressing that the focus of the debate must be on the victims and not on the political cost for the party.
Simultaneously, various reports suggest a potential legal challenge for the PSOE as an entity, hinging on the chance that the courts might evaluate if there was organizational accountability in managing the complaints. Some media outlets cite prosecutorial sources indicating the possibility of the party being scrutinized for an alleged organizational crime of sexual harassment, a situation that, at this stage, is merely a legal hypothesis under review and does not entail any formal charges.
Response from the opposition and political repercussions
The People’s Party (PP) has declared that it will leverage its Senate majority to summon Paco Salazar to testify before the committee regarding the so-called “Koldo case”, capitalizing on the public attention the former adviser has gained. From the PP, Sánchez is accused of being the president “most detrimental to women”, associating the Salazar case with other contentious incidents in the realm of equality and victim protection.
The entire opposition has concentrated on the sequence of appointments, dismissals, and reassignments involving Salazar, along with the claim that two of his closest female associates have reportedly been transferred to public companies in recent years, which strengthens the narrative of a trust network surrounding the former adviser within the state apparatus.
A case that challenges the party’s protocols and credibility
The Salazar case, which now includes Antonio Hernández, has created a significant political and ethical divide within Pedro Sánchez’s PSOE, amidst a societal call for zero tolerance against sexual harassment and abuses of power in both the workplace and political spheres.
While internal proceedings and possible judicial actions are still underway, the party faces a twofold test: on the one hand, to prove that its anti-harassment protocols work effectively and put victims first; on the other, to rebuild the trust of its own electorate and of public opinion, which is watching with concern the succession of leaks, corrections and dismissals surrounding the case.
In any event, both Paco Salazar and Antonio Hernández still retain, as of today, their right to the presumption of innocence before the courts, pending full clarification of the facts and the possible opening of criminal proceedings. The next steps taken by the PSOE and Pedro Sánchez’s Government will be decisive in determining the political, institutional and judicial scope of this scandal. But for the moment, despite the legal duty to do so, there has been no indication that the PSOE itself is filing any complaint with the authorities, as has already been the case with other corruption scandals surrounding the party.