Journal De Bruxelles - Spain's ruling Socialists face sex scandal fallout among women voters

The controversy first erupted in the summer, when audio recordings surfaced of former transport minister Jose Luis Abalos -- once Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's right-hand man -- and his aide Koldo Garcia using crude language to arrange meetings with prostitutes.

The revelations came amid an ongoing corruption investigation involving both men, who are due to stand trial in a case that had already shaken the government.

In response, the party formally prohibited its members from resorting to prostitution, a practice not explicitly banned under Spanish law.

Shortly afterwards, a close aide to Sanchez, Francisco Salazar, was removed from his post at the premier's office over "inappropriate sexual behaviour".

Several women who filed complaints have come forward in recent days, alleging that the party failed to respond for months after they reported incidents.

One alleged that Salazar would leave the restroom and only zip up his fly near women's faces. Another described his conduct as "misogynistic" and his language as "hypersexualised".

The scandals have extended regionally, with harassment complaints targeting local Socialist officials near the southern city of Malaga and in Lugo in the northwest.

- 'Disappointment and betrayal' -

Faced with the growing list of scandals, Socialist organisation secretary Rebeca Torro said on Friday that the party faced a "turning point".

"Disrespecting women and engaging in sexist behaviour is incompatible with being a socialist," she told a news conference.

Sanchez defended his government in parliament on Wednesday, saying "feminism gives all of us lessons -- myself included".

"We acknowledge our mistakes when they happen and act accordingly," he added.

Women represented 56 percent of the Socialist electorate in the last general election in 2023, according to government-backed public polling agency CIS.

Analysts warn that the party risks eroding support that has historically given it a wide lead among women over the main opposition conservative Popular Party (PP).

Elena Valenciano, a former deputy leader of the Socialists who heads the Fundacion Mujeres, a Spanish feminist organisation working for gender equality, said women felt "disappointment" and "betrayal".

Feminism has "always advanced greatly" under the Socialists, but now women no longer see the party "as an ally, unless it changes", she added.

"The problem is that the right is also not seen as reliable for women, so we're left in a state of abandonment," Valenciano told AFP.

Sociologist Belen Barreiro, director of the polling institute 40dB, said the impact "could be particularly strong among female voters", especially since "it touches on values that are emblematic for the party".

- 'Deep' damage -

Regaining the confidence of women voters will not be easy.

In October, Sanchez announced plans to enshrine the right to abortion in the constitution to protect it from future political challenges or rollbacks, in what was seen as a bid to attract women voters.

But his minority government does not have the necessary parliamentary support to make the constitutional change since the right rejects the reform.

"This is a crisis that isn't going to be resolved anytime soon," said political analyst Lucia Mendez of centre-right daily newspaper El Mundo, describing the damage to the party's standing among women as "deep".

"Sanchez built his path to government on two pillars: combating corruption and promoting feminism -- and on both counts, the results have been mediocre at best, if not outright poor," she added.

The scandals have provided the PP, which regularly demands Sanchez's resignation and early elections over corruption investigations affecting his inner circle, with a powerful new line of attack.

But Barreiro cautioned that "it is possible that this vote will shift towards abstention" rather than towards the opposition.

W.Lievens--JdB