Since assuming leadership of the Spanish Socialist
Workers’ Party (PSOE) in 2014, Pedro Sánchez has faced controversies questioning
the legitimacy of his rise to the party’s general secretary and, later, Spain’s
prime minister. In recent years, particularly in 2025, accusations and alleged
evidence of fraudulent maneuvers in the party’s internal elections have
surfaced, reigniting debates about events like the controversial 2016 Federal
Committee and the 2014 primaries. This article explores claims of cheating that
allegedly paved Sánchez’s path to power, based on narratives emerging in public
discourse.
The 2014 Primaries: The Start of Suspicions
Pedro Sánchez became PSOE general secretary on July
13, 2014, after winning the primaries against Eduardo Madina with 48.7% of the
votes compared to his rival’s 36.2%. While the process was initially hailed as
a triumph of the grassroots, doubts have since emerged. Critics have speculated
that key figures, such as Santos Cerdán, the current PSOE organizer,
orchestrated maneuvers to tilt the scales in Sánchez’s favor. According to
public testimonies, votes were allegedly manipulated discreetly, including
instructions to insert ballots without oversight in some polling stations.
These accusations remain unproven in court but have been substantiated by some
accounts.
The most cited evidence of rigging occurred on October
1, 2016, during a PSOE Federal Committee, a critical moment following that
year’s general elections. Facing an internal no-confidence motion led by Susana
Díaz and other party barons, Sánchez attempted to force a ballot vote to call
an extraordinary congress to cling to his position. However, the process lacked
proper oversight: there was no official voter registry, scrutineers, or
democratic safeguards, and ballot boxes were placed behind a screen, prompting
cries of “vote-rigging” from critics. The vote was halted, and Sánchez resigned
after losing the Committee’s majority support. Described by some as a “botched
job” and by others as deliberate fraud, this event left a deep wound in the
party and fueled narratives that Sánchez would stop at nothing to hold onto
power.
After his resignation, Sánchez reinvented himself and
reclaimed the general secretary role in the May 2017 primaries, winning with
50.21% of the votes against Díaz’s 39.94%. Despite high turnout (80% of the
electorate), suspicions of manipulation resurfaced. Critics pointed to
strategic mobilization of loyal militants in key federations and alleged
pressure on grassroots members to secure his victory. The 15,000-vote margin
over Díaz, despite her initial advantage in endorsements, has been interpreted
by detractors as evidence of an orchestrated process, though conclusive proof
remains absent.
Recent Revelations in 2025
In June 2025, accusations gained fresh momentum with
testimonies and recordings implicating Sánchez’s close allies, such as Santos
Cerdán and Koldo García, in fraudulent practices during the 2014 primaries.
Disseminated through media and social networks, these revelations suggest votes
were directly manipulated with specific instructions to alter counts. Figures
like Tomás Gómez, former PSOE Madrid leader, have supported these claims,
alleging they witnessed manipulation attempts in the past.
While some party factions remain silent or defend
Sánchez’s trajectory as reflecting the will of the grassroots, others demand an
independent investigation to clarify the facts. In the political arena, the
opposition, particularly the PP and Vox, has seized on these revelations to
attack the government, branding Sánchez a “product of fraud.”
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