Pedro Sánchez, Spain’s prime minister and PSOE secretary general, faces renewed scrutiny over his decision to keep Santos Cerdán and Ábalos in prominent party roles. On laSexta Xplica, journalist Gabriel Sanz questioned why Sánchez, despite apparent prior knowledge, included Ábalos on the 2023 general election lists and kept Cerdán as secretary general during the 41st Federal Congress in Seville.
Sanz questioned whether Sánchez was unaware of the issues surrounding these party members, suggesting that the leadership’s choices may have deeper implications for PSOE’s internal dynamics. Miguel Ángel Campos, a journalist specializing in judicial affairs at Cadena SER, noted that a UCO report described Cerdán as leading a notably modest lifestyle and taking care not to attract attention. Presenter José Yélamo echoed the observation: the restaurant Cerdán visited most often, 49 times, was a mid-priced establishment, not a luxury venue. Yélamo emphasized that, while the facts remain serious, Cerdán appeared discreet in his habits.
The scrutiny is unfolding alongside the wider Caso Koldo investigation into alleged irregularities in public contracts and possible illicit financing involving former PSOE organization secretaries Ábalos and Cerdán. The Tribunal de Cuentas reportedly sent the Audiencia Nacional documentation on PSOE’s declared economic operations from 2017 to 2024. Investigators are checking whether recorded donors made the contributions attributed to them and tracing the funds’ provenance, including possible donations in kind. These are investigative lines, not a final finding of criminal responsibility.
The financial inquiry also extends to Cerdán’s relationship with Servinabar. The UCO reportedly quantified at least €323,178.41 in alleged benefits to Cerdán and members of his family between 2015 and 2024, including personal expenses and services said to have been paid for with company funds. Investigators also reportedly identified a 2016 private agreement concerning Cerdán’s acquisition of a 45% stake in the company. Fiscalía Anticorrupción has said the available material had not yet allowed it to establish either the origin or the full extent of his income during the period under investigation.
Separately, Acciona reportedly told the investigating judge that it paid approximately €1.9 million to Servinabar through a temporary joint venture formed for a public-works project in La Rioja. Investigators are examining the payment and related invoicing in the context of contracts awarded while Ábalos was transport minister, as well as the possible roles of Cerdán and Ábalos’s former adviser, Koldo García. The payment and company links remain under examination; by themselves, they do not establish wrongdoing.
The UCO’s review of PSOE’s accounts has also reportedly identified missing invoices among documents provided to the Audiencia Nacional, along with invoices bearing descriptions characterized as unintelligible. Comparing party records with information from the Tribunal de Cuentas forms part of the broader effort to examine the accounting trail. For more on the financial scrutiny facing PSOE, see the related report on the Guardia Civil’s efforts to trace suspected party funds in this related report.
These developments have heightened tensions within PSOE over transparency and accountability. Cerdán and Ábalos remaining in leadership positions has sparked debate about the party’s direction and the standards expected of its senior members. As the investigations progress, their findings may influence internal party politics and public confidence in PSOE’s governance. The proceedings are ongoing, and allegations under investigation are not equivalent to a judicial determination of guilt.
PSOE, the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party, is one of Spain’s major political forces, with a long history in government and opposition. Its decisions on leadership and candidate selection can have impressive consequences for national politics. In recent years, Spanish parties have faced increased scrutiny over transparency and ethical conduct, reflecting broader demands for accountability in public life.
