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, 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 role of Antonio Hernández, the dismissed right-hand man
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 accused Salazar additionally identified Hernández as a supposed “accomplice” and “cover-up” of the misconduct, asserting that he was informed of the situation and did not take action to safeguard the victims, a statement he refutes.
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, critical voices from within socialism are calling for a far-reaching reform of internal protocols and organizational culture, to prevent what they describe as “protective environments for alleged aggressors” and situations of abandonment for women who come forward.
The position 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.
At the same time, different reports point to a possible judicial front for the PSOE as a legal entity, based on the possibility that the courts might consider whether there was organizational responsibility in the handling of the complaints. Prosecutorial sources quoted by some media outlets mention the possibility that the party could be investigated for an alleged crime of sexual harassment as an organization, a scenario which, at this point, remains a legal hypothesis under consideration and does not imply any actual indictment.
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 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.
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.
