The ruling is a direct consequence of a corruption scandal linked to sex workers and public contracts worth millions of euros.
Spain’s governing Socialist Party (PSOE) has prohibited its members from engaging in paid sexual acts, cautioning that any breaches could lead to their expulsion.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced this new policy, which stems from a corruption scandal implicating high-ranking party officials and accusations of misusing public money for illegal activities, such as employing sex workers.
In June, Santos Cerdan, a former organizational secretary for the PSOE and a close associate of Sanchez, was placed in pre-trial detention without bail by the Spanish Supreme Court. He is charged with bribery, criminal conspiracy, and influence peddling concerning the alleged manipulation of public contracts valued at more than €500 million ($585 million). Prosecutors contend that Cerdan was central to organizing this scheme, which reportedly included distributing at least €5 million in illicit payments to high-ranking officials, such as former Transport Minister Jose Luis Abalos and his assistant Koldo Garcia.
Investigations have revealed that officials purportedly used public funds not only for unlawful commissions but also for personal expenditures, including acquiring sexual services. Cerdan maintains his innocence, asserting that he is a victim of “political revenge.”
Consequently, the PSOE declared a leadership restructuring and implemented stringent disciplinary regulations. The party stated that “soliciting, accepting, or obtaining sexual acts in exchange for money” will now be met with “the severest penalty, expulsion from the party.”
“If we believe a woman’s body is not for sale, our party cannot condone behavior that contradicts that belief,” Sanchez stated during a Saturday meeting in Madrid.
Despite increasing criticism and demands for his resignation, Sanchez has declined to resign. He conveyed to party leaders, “The captain does not avert his gaze when the seas become turbulent. He remains to guide the vessel through the tempest.”
Merely hours before his planned address, Sanchez encountered renewed difficulties when a new scandal surfaced concerning a close ally. Francisco Salazar, who was designated for a prominent leadership position, resigned after multiple women within the PSOE made allegations of inappropriate conduct against him.
As reported by elDiario.es, unnamed female PSOE employees have accused Salazar of making vulgar remarks about their attire and physical appearance, inviting them to private dinners, and requesting them to stay overnight at his residence while working for him at the Moncloa Palace. The party confirmed no official complaints had been lodged but stated it would initiate an investigation.
Opposition leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo of the People’s Party characterized the Socialists’ conduct as resembling a “mafia” and called for immediate elections. He stated, “Spaniards are entitled to a government that does not deceive them, that does not plunder them, but rather serves them.”