Amid a deepening corruption scandal involving alleged kickbacks and the use of sex workers, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez saw his PSOE socialist party take decisive action on Saturday – reshuffling its leadership and introducing a strict ban on members engaging in paid sex.
The scandal, which poses the most serious threat to Sánchez’s seven-year tenure, escalated sharply last Monday with the arrest of Santos Cerdán, a former high-ranking figure in the party. Cerdán is under investigation for suspected corruption and reportedly hiring sex workers. ALSO READ: Judge orders pre-trial detention for PSOE’s former organisation secretary.
In response, the PSOE declared that any member found ‘soliciting, accepting or obtaining sexual acts in exchange for money’ would now face the party’s harshest penalty: expulsion.
‘If we believe a woman’s body is not for sale, our party cannot allow behaviour contrary to that,’ Sánchez said at his party’s federal committee meeting on Saturday.
‘These are difficult times for everyone, without a doubt,’ he acknowledged in remarks to party leaders gathered in Madrid, once again expressing regret for having placed his trust in individuals now entangled in the scandal.
However, he dismissed the notion of stepping aside.
‘The captain doesn’t look the other way when seas get rough. He stays to steer the ship through the storm,’ Sánchez insisted. ALSO READ: Spanish PM apologises, after senior politician resigns due to alleged link to corruption probe.
As part of the restructuring, the party announced the appointment of Rebeca Torró, a 44-year-old lawyer, to replace Cerdán as the party’s number three.
The meeting itself was delayed due to the resignation of another Sánchez loyalist, Francisco Salazar, who had been slated for a senior position. Spanish media on Saturday reported that Salazar faced allegations of ‘inappropriate behaviour’ from multiple women who had worked under him within the party.
The allegations of sexual harassment included claims that he had made inappropriate comments about a female subordinate, invited her to dinner alone and asked her to sleep at his home.
Also drawn into the growing scandal is José Luis Ábalos, the former transport minister, who has been linked to a scheme involving kickbacks related to public contracts. ALSO READ: Former Spanish transport minister denies corruption allegations in court.
Meanwhile, the main right-wing opposition, the People’s Party (PP), endorsed its own leadership during its party congress at the weekend, in a bid to leverage the government’s current turmoil.
‘We’re the only alternative to this state of decline,’ PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo said, casting his party as the solution to Spain’s divisions and what he called ‘political fatigue’.
‘Spaniards deserve a government that doesn’t lie to them, that doesn’t rob them but serves them,’ he said.
Subscribe to the Weekly Newsletter from Spain in English.
Ya ha comenzado el #21CongresoNacionalPP.
— Alberto Núñez Feijóo (@NunezFeijoo) July 4, 2025
Nuestro objetivo no es otro que ofrecer a España un futuro mejor con un equipo fuerte, sólido y con experiencia.#TomaPartidoPorEspaña pic.twitter.com/NoGlUPqssr
🔵Última hora: se retrasa la ejecutiva
🔹Francisco Salazar renuncia al cargohttps://t.co/bgbuiK35A1: “Varias mujeres del PSOE acusan a Paco Salazar de “comportamientos inadecuados” cuando era su jefe”#Especial360https://t.co/CfpoB4och9 pic.twitter.com/mB4FBwOE7k
— Mañaneros 360 (@MananerosTVE) July 5, 2025
La promesa de la coalición ultraderechista del PP y VOX es una agenda de silencios, abandonos y retrocesos.
Haremos todo y más para que España siga avanzando.
Es la hora del compromiso, la resiliencia y el optimismo. La hora de mostrar de qué estamos hechos los socialistas. pic.twitter.com/0h7ThFzAKl
— Pedro Sánchez (@sanchezcastejon) July 5, 2025
Click here to get your business activity or services listed on our DIRECTORY.