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 is he accused of
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, several female Socialist members and staff who worked under him have internally reported behaviours they describe as sexual harassment and abuse of power: sexually charged comments, persistent invitations to private meetings outside working hours and offers to let them stay at his home, always in a context of hierarchical dependence.
As a result of these complaints, Salazar was removed from his responsibilities in the party and ceased to be part of the federal executive, as well as losing his position of influence in Moncloa. The events are being investigated under the PSOE’s internal anti-harassment protocols and could lead to legal action if the complainants decide to proceed, but for the time being, there is silence.
The role of Antonio Hernández, the dismissed right-hand man
Antonio Hernández, who has served as the director of the Political Coordination Department in Moncloa and has been a pivotal figure in the Government’s political operations, was regarded as Salazar’s right-hand man and his primary support in daily affairs.
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 middle of the scandal, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez decided to push for his dismissal both from Moncloa and from the organizational structure of the Andalusian PSOE, a decision that the Council of Ministers has formalized in recent days and which has been interpreted as an attempt to “cauterize” the crisis and cut off any appearance of connivance with the conduct attributed to Salazar.
Critiques regarding the PSOE’s internal management and their belated reaction
Numerous press articles suggest that the PSOE required over four months to officially reach out to the victims following the initial complaints, leading to significant internal dissent and greatly tarnishing the party’s reputation. The operation of the anti-harassment committee has been scrutinized for its sluggishness, lack of coordination, and inadequate communication with the federal leadership, in a party that prides itself on its feminist stance.
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 stance of Pedro Sánchez’s Government
The Government’s spokesperson and Minister of Education, Pilar Alegría, has emphasized that the Executive responded with “speed and determination” once it was formally aware of the accusations, underscoring Salazar’s dismissal, his removal from the PSOE executive, and now, the termination of Antonio Hernández.
Alegría has openly admitted that her recent lunch with Salazar—held when the complaints were already known—was a “mistake”, emphasizing that the debate should center on the victims rather than the political repercussions 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.
Reaction of the opposition and political damage
The People’s Party (PP) has announced that it will use its majority in the Senate to call Paco Salazar to testify before the committee on the so-called “Koldo case”, taking advantage of the public relevance the former adviser has acquired. From the PP, Sánchez is accused of being the president “most harmful to women”, linking the Salazar case to other controversial episodes in the field of equality and victim protection.
The opposition as a whole has focused on the chain of appointments, dismissals and reassignments around Salazar, as well as on the fact that two of his closest female collaborators are said to have been moved to public companies in recent years, which reinforces the narrative of a network of trust around the former adviser within the state apparatus.
An open case that puts the party’s protocols and credibility to the test
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.
