Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s attempt to initiate a comprehensive change process in the Socialist Party (PSOE) has been overshadowed by a new crisis. According to information reported in Spanish media outlets such as ElDiario.es, HuffPost España and Cadena SER, sexual harassment allegations against party official Francisco Salazar have put Sanchez’s plans to restructure the party under strain.

Last week, Salazar, who submitted his resignation, demanded that the allegations be investigated. The PSOE immediately announced that it had launched an internal investigation. However, according to Spanish media, this incident not only undermined Prime Minister Sanchez’s rhetoric of “renewal within the party” but also caused a crisis of public confidence.

Spanish newspaper elDiario.es carried in its headlines the claim that Salazar made sexual comments to a female party worker, invited her to his house and that this situation had caused discomfort for a long time. It was also reported that at the time, the victimized worker was working directly under Salazar at the Moncloa Palace, the Prime Minister's residence.

'ZERO TOLERANCE FOR HARASSMENT'

The scandal came at a particularly striking time, as Prime Minister Sanchez was preparing to deliver a keynote speech at the PSOE headquarters, promising to open a"clean slate" after corruption. However, the harassment case in the party has completely overturned all these plans. In a statement to Cadena SER, Sanchez stated that there would be a"zero tolerance policy for sexual harassment in the party" and called on all members to report such cases without hesitation. However, the opposition and the public are questioning the institutional credibility of the PSOE due to the timing and impact of the scandal.