Jump to content

2024 PSOE federal party congress

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

2024 PSOE federal party congress

← 2021 13 October 2024 (primary)[a]
29 November – 1 December 2024 (congress)
Next →

1,101 delegates in the Federal Congress
Plurality of delegates needed to win
Opinion polls
TurnoutExecutive: 1,028 (93.4%)
Committee: 1,034 (93.9%)
 
Candidate Pedro Sánchez Blank ballots
Popular vote Uncontested Uncontested
Executive 925 (90.8%) 94 (9.2%)
Committee 931 (90.7%) 96 (9.3%)

Party leader before election

Pedro Sánchez

Party leader after
election

Pedro Sánchez

The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) held its 41st federal congress in Seville from 29 November to 1 December 2024, to renovate its governing bodies—including the post of secretary-general, which amounted to that of party leader, through a primary election—and establish the party platform and policy until the next congress.

The congress was scheduled to be held in 2025, but following the 2023 local, regional and general elections, plans were made to advance it to late 2024, in order to hasten the renovation of the party's regional branches—most of which had been ousted from power as a result of the 28 May 2023 elections—ahead of the 2027 elections. In late April 2024, the PSOE was briefly thrown into a leadership crisis as party leader and then prime minister of Spain Pedro Sánchez announced his intention to reflect on his political future, which included a possible resignation and retirement from Spanish politics; Sánchez ultimately chose to continue and run for another term as party leader, but the crisis sparked an internal debate on his future succession.

A primary election to elect the PSOE secretary-general was initially scheduled for 13 October, but as no candidate opposing Sánchez ran for election, he was re-elected unopposed.

Background

[edit]

The local and regional elections on 28 May 2023 resulted in the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) losing much of its territorial power to the opposition People's Party (PP), prompting Pedro Sánchez, the party's secretary-general and prime minister of Spain, to call an early general election for 23 July.[2][3] The negative electoral outlook—with opinion polls predicting a scenario similar to that of the local and regional elections, with a right-wing majority between the PP and far-right Vox being the most likely outcome—fueled speculation about an imminent internal crisis with one of the following outcomes: Sánchez's resignation and the holding of an extraordinary PSOE congress after the summer, an attempt by Sánchez to cling to his position as party leader, or his overthrow by internal rivals.[4][5][6] However, the PSOE surged during the campaign and thwarted the possibility of a PP–Vox majority, allowing Sánchez to retain the Spanish government through inter-party negotiations as well as reinforcing his leadership within the party.[7][8]

Following the party's defeat in the 2024 Galician regional election, it was speculated that Sánchez could call an extraordinary congress to renovate the entire executive commission before the next scheduled regional elections in the Basque Country and Catalonia and the nationwide European Parliament election.[9] In April 2024, the PSOE was briefly thrown into disarray after Sánchez announced a five-day reflection on his political future—a result of an ongoing judicial investigation on his wife, Begoña Gómez—during which he remained silent and self-confined in the prime ministerial residence at Moncloa Palace, with no apparent successor in the event of a prospective resignation.[10][11] Sánchez ultimately chose to continue, denouncing a "harassment and bullying operation" and vowing to fight "even harder" as prime minister.[12][13] While this solved the crisis for the time being, it sparked an internal debate on Sánchez's succession which the PSOE's leadership was tempted to quell by postponing the congress until the end of 2025.[14] The party ultimately chose to go ahead with initial plans to bring the ordinary congress forward one year to late 2024, in order to hasten the renovation of its regional branches ahead of the 2027 local and regional elections.[15][16]

Initially planned for 15–17 November 2024, the congress was delayed two weeks for "logistical reasons".[17][18]

Overview

[edit]

Role

[edit]

The Federal Congress was the highest decision-making body of the PSOE, having the ability to define the party platform and policy, amend its statutes and internal regulations and elect its federal governing bodies,[19][20] which included the Executive Commission—a board of directors responsible for the day-to-day management of the party under the coordination of a secretary-general, which was the party leader[21][22]—and one-third of the members in the Federal Committee (an assembly of party notables and elected representatives, which was the PSOE's highest body between congresses).[23][24]

Depending on whether a congress was held following the natural end of its term or due to any other exceptional circumstances, it could be of either ordinary or extraordinary nature.[20] Ordinary PSOE congresses were to be held every three or four years and called at least 45 days in advance—though they could be postponed by the federal committee for up to one additional year when there were sufficient reasons to justify it—whereas extraordinary congresses could be called at any time by the federal committee or by the federal executive commission, as well as when requested by more than half of the party's membership, but were limited to the specific purpose for which they were convened.[20][25]

Procedure

[edit]

The 500 to 2,000 congress delegates—with the exact number being determined by the federal committee[20]—were elected by party members and direct affiliates of the corresponding territorial area and in full enjoyment of their political rights,[19][26] using closed list proportional representation and a majority bonus of half-plus-one of the delegates at stake being awarded to the candidacy winning a plurality of votes; the remaining delegates were distributed among all other candidacies, provided that they secured over 20 percent of the votes.[27][28] Candidates seeking to lead a congress delegation were required to collect the endorsements of between 12 and 15 percent of party members at the territorial scope for which they sought election.[19][27][28] In the event of only one candidate meeting this requirement, the election was to be left uncontested, with such candidate being granted the right to appoint half-plus-one of the delegation and the corresponding territorial executive commission appointing the rest.[19][27][28]

The election of the secretary-general was on the basis of a two-round primary election system; if no candidate secured over 50 percent of votes in the first round, a second round was to be held between the two candidates receiving the most votes.[19][29][30] Voting comprised all members and direct affiliates of the PSOE, the Socialists' Party of Catalonia (PSC), the Socialist Youth of Spain (JSE) and the Socialist Youth of Catalonia (JSC).[19][30][31] Candidates seeking to run were required to collect the endorsements of between three and five percent of party members.[19][31][32] In the event of only one candidate meeting this requirement, the primaries were to be left uncontested with such candidate being elected unopposed.[19][32][33]

Timetable

[edit]

The key dates of the congress process are listed below (all times are CET):[34]

  • 7 September: Official announcement of the congress.
  • Secretary-General primaries:[32]
    • 12 September: Start of pre-candidacy submission period.
    • 19 September: End of pre-candidacy submission period (at 12 pm).
    • 20 September: Start of endorsement collection period.
    • 30 September: End of endorsement collection period (at 12 pm).
    • 1 October: Provisional proclamation of candidates.
    • 2 October: Definitive proclamation of candidates.
    • 3 October: Official start of internal information campaign.
    • 12 October: Last day of internal information campaign.
    • 13 October: First round of voting; provisional proclamation of first round results.
    • 15 October: Definitive proclamation of first round results; proclamation of elected secretary-general (if half-plus-one of votes).
    • 20 October: Second round of voting (if required); provisional proclamation of second round results.
    • 22 October: Definitive proclamation of second round results; proclamation of elected secretary-general (if second round is required).
  • Congress delegation elections:[28]
    • 24 September: Start of pre-candidacy submission period.
    • 30 September: End of pre-candidacy submission period (at 12 pm).
    • 2 October: Start of endorsement collection period.
    • 9 October: End of endorsement collection period (at 12 pm); provisional proclamation of candidates.
    • 10 October: Definitive proclamation of candidates.
    • 13 October: Deadline for candidates to submit proposed lists of delegates; provisional proclamation of proposed lists.
    • 15 October: Definitive proclamation of proposed lists.
    • 20 October: Election of congress delegations; provisional proclamation of congress delegations.
    • 22 October: Definitive proclamation of congress delegations.
  • 29 November: Start of federal congress.

Candidates

[edit]
Candidate Notable positions Announced Ref.

Proclaimed

[edit]
Candidates who met endorsement requirements and were officially proclaimed to contest the party congress.
Pedro Sánchez
(age 52)
President of the Socialist International (since 2022)
Prime Minister of Spain (since 2018)
Secretary-General of the PSOE (2014–2016 and since 2017)
Member of the Congress of Deputies for Madrid
(2009–2011, 2013–2016 and since 2019)

President pro tempore of the Council of the European Union (2023)
Leader of the Opposition of Spain (2014–2016 and 2017–2018)
City Councillor of Madrid (2004–2009)
7 September 2024 [1]
[35]
[36]

Declined

[edit]

The individuals in this section were the subject of speculation about their possible candidacy, but publicly denied or recanted interest in running:

Opinion polls

[edit]

Poll results are listed in the tables below in reverse chronological order, showing the most recent first, and using the date the survey's fieldwork was done, as opposed to the date of publication. If such date is unknown, the date of publication is given instead. The highest percentage figure in each polling survey is displayed in bold, and the background shaded in the candidate's colour. In the instance of a tie, the figures with the highest percentages are shaded. Polls show data gathered among PSOE voters/supporters as well as Spanish voters as a whole, but not among party members, who are the ones ultimately entitled to vote in the primary election.

PSOE voters

[edit]

Spanish voters

[edit]

Results

[edit]
Summary of the 1 December 2024 PSOE congress results
Candidate Executive Committee
Votes % Votes %
Pedro Sánchez 925 90.78 931 90.65
Blank ballots 94 9.22 96 9.35
Total 1,019 1,027
Valid votes 1,019 99.12 1,027 99.32
Invalid votes 9 0.88 7 0.68
Votes cast / turnout 1,028 93.37 1,034 93.91
Not voting 73 6.63 67 6.09
Total delegates 1,101 1,101
Sources[50][51][52]
Vote by delegates (Executive Commission)
Sánchez
90.78%
Blank ballots
9.22%
Vote by delegates (Federal Committee)
Sánchez
90.65%
Blank ballots
9.35%

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ The primary election was left uncontested on 19 September, as a result of Pedro Sánchez's candidacy being the only one fielded.[1]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Pedro Sánchez será reelegido como secretario general del PSOE al ser el único candidato". elDiario.es (in Spanish). 19 September 2024. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
  2. ^ Elordi Cué, Carlos (29 May 2023). "Pedro Sánchez adelanta las elecciones generales al 23 de julio ante el fiasco de las autonómicas". El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  3. ^ "Spain's Sanchez gambles on snap election after regional ballot rout". Reuters. 29 May 2023. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  4. ^ Rocha, Carlos (19 June 2023). "Las difíciles transiciones en el PSOE o cómo el líder se agarra al sillón de Ferraz". El Confidencial (in Spanish). Seville. Retrieved 23 April 2025.
  5. ^ "Vara para apaciguar el 'post sanchismo'". El Periódico de Extremadura (in Spanish). 6 July 2023. Retrieved 23 April 2025.
  6. ^ Sanz, Gabriel (22 July 2023). "El PSOE contiene la respiración para que otra derrota electoral este 23-J no abra el partido en canal". Vozpópuli (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 April 2025.
  7. ^ Gil, Iván (24 July 2023). "Sánchez resurge por el voto útil frente a Vox y blinda su liderazgo en el PSOE". El Confidencial (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 April 2025.
  8. ^ Monrosi, José Enrique; Ortiz, Alberto (16 November 2023). "Pedro Sánchez es investido presidente del Gobierno con más apoyos que en 2020". elDiario.es (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 16 November 2023. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  9. ^ D. Prieto, Alberto (20 February 2024). "El PSOE valora ya hacer un congreso extraordinario o una remodelación de Gobierno tras las europeas". El Español (in Spanish). Madrid. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  10. ^ Gil, Iván; Ruiz Sierra, Juan (26 April 2024). "El Gobierno tapona el debate de la sucesión de Sánchez mientras cunde la impresión de que dimitirá". El Periódico de España (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 April 2025.
  11. ^ Muñoz, Miguel (26 April 2024). "Los cinco días que pusieron al PSOE ante el abismo de la marcha de Sánchez: no hay banquillo". Público (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 April 2025.
  12. ^ Jones, Sam (29 April 2024). "Pedro Sánchez to continue as Spain's PM despite 'bullying' campaign". The Guardian. Madrid. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
  13. ^ "Sánchez asegura estar con ánimo para otra legislatura y seguir "lo que quieran los españoles con su voto"" (in Spanish). EiTB. 30 April 2024. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  14. ^ Gil, Iván (7 May 2024). "El PSOE aleja hasta "finales de 2025" el congreso previsto en otoño para enterrar el debate sucesorio". El Periódico de España (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 April 2025.
  15. ^ Rodríguez Veiga, Diego (11 December 2023). "Sánchez irá a las urnas en 2024 sólo con retoques en su Ejecutiva y llevará a octubre el 41º Congreso". El Español (in Spanish). Madrid. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  16. ^ Marcos, José (30 August 2024). "Sánchez convocará el Congreso Federal del PSOE en noviembre para activar la renovación del partido". El País (in Spanish). Madrid. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  17. ^ "Sánchez convoca el Congreso Federal del PSOE para el 15, 16 y 17 de noviembre en Sevilla" (in Spanish). Madrid: Europa Press. 2 September 2024. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  18. ^ "El PSOE celebrará su congreso federal del 29 de noviembre al 1 de diciembre" (in Spanish). RTVE. 2 September 2024. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  19. ^ a b c d e f g h EF (2021), tit. I, ch. II, art. 5.
  20. ^ a b c d EF (2021), tit. V, ch. I, art. 21–25.
  21. ^ EF (2021), tit. V, ch. III, art. 30–36.
  22. ^ RFDEF (2022), bloc II, par. II, ch. I, art. 166.
  23. ^ EF (2021), tit. V, ch. II, art. 26–29.
  24. ^ RFDEF (2022), bloc II, par. II, ch. I, art. 167.
  25. ^ RFDEF (2022), bloc I, par. I, ch. I, art. 7.
  26. ^ RFDEF (2022), bloc I, par. I, ch. I, art. 10–11.
  27. ^ a b c RFDEF (2022), bloc II, par. II, ch. I, art. 169.
  28. ^ a b c d PSOE Federal Committee 2024, pp. 20–27.
  29. ^ RFDEF (2022), bloc II, par. II, ch. I, art. 163.
  30. ^ a b PSOE Federal Committee 2024, pp. 9–19.
  31. ^ a b RFDEF (2022), bloc II, par. II, ch. I, art. 125.
  32. ^ a b c PSOE Federal Committee 2024, pp. 10–19.
  33. ^ RFDEF (2022), bloc II, par. II, ch. I, art. 140.
  34. ^ "Calendario 41 Congreso PSOE" (PDF) (in Spanish). Spanish Socialist Workers' Party. 7 September 2024. Retrieved 21 April 2025.
  35. ^ "Sánchez se presentará a la reelección como secretario general del PSOE en el 41 Congreso Federal" (in Spanish). Madrid: Servimedia. 2 September 2024. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
  36. ^ "Pedro Sánchez anuncia que se presentará a la reelección como secretario general del PSOE: "Tengo un proyecto de futuro para España"" (in Spanish). Madrid: Cadena SER. 7 September 2024. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  37. ^ a b c d e Alcantud, Luis (26 April 2024). "Las quinielas sobre quién podría sustituir a Pedro Sánchez". Antena 3 (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 April 2025.
  38. ^ a b c d e f Rodríguez Veiga, Diego (28 April 2024). "Zapatero y seis más: el expresidente, único líder que suscita entusiasmo para suceder a Sánchez". El Español (in Spanish). Madrid. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  39. ^ Ansón, Luis María (28 April 2023). "Sánchez sí tiene sucesor". La Razón (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  40. ^ "García-Page no descarta que Sánchez dimita y no se ve como sucesor del presidente". La Voz del Tajo (in Spanish). 25 April 2024. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  41. ^ "¿Page sucesor de Sánchez? González prefiere no dar nombres". La Tribuna de Albacete (in Spanish). 10 October 2024. Retrieved 21 April 2025.
  42. ^ Amón, Rubén (20 May 2024). "¿Será Illa el sucesor de Sánchez?". El Confidencial (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 April 2025.
  43. ^ Martín, Ana (11 June 2023). "La conjura de Adriana Lastra: Sánchez intenta sofocar los primeros movimientos sucesorios" (in Spanish). El Debate. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
  44. ^ López Pavón, Teresa (26 April 2024). "María Jesús Montero se presenta como sucesora natural de Sánchez con Zapatero como líder en la sombra". El Mundo (in Spanish). Seville. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
  45. ^ Fernández, Rubén (29 April 2024). "María Jesús Montero, la sucesora que tendrá que esperar". Libertad Digital (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  46. ^ a b Fernández, Rubén (2 May 2024). "El plan de Cerdán para "enterrar" a Sánchez: Montero, presidenta "accidental"; Puente, líder del PSOE y sucesor". Libertad Digital (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 April 2025.
  47. ^ Ruiz Serra, Juan; Santos, Pilar (23 July 2023). "Los escenarios de futuro de Pedro Sánchez y Alberto Núñez Feijóo". El Correo Gallego (in Spanish). Madrid. Retrieved 23 April 2025.
  48. ^ ""La hipótesis Zapatero" ante una posible dimisión de Pedro Sánchez, la opción que descarta rotundamente el expresidente" (in Spanish). laSexta. 28 April 2024. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
  49. ^ a b "ElectoPanel (13feb): Sánchez, preferido a Page como líder del PSOE". Electomanía (in Spanish). 13 February 2024.
  50. ^ Lozano, Carles. "Partido Socialista Obrero Español. Partit dels Socialistes de Catalunya, P.Socialista de Euskadi E.E., Partido Socialista Popular, PSOE histórico". Historia Electoral.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 April 2025.
  51. ^ "La nueva Comisión Ejecutiva Federal del PSOE, aprobada con el 90% de los votos". Spanish Socialist Workers' Party. 1 December 2024. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
  52. ^ Val, Nuria (1 December 2024). "Pedro Sánchez, reelegido secretario general del PSOE con el 90% de los votos". Seville: Servimedia. Retrieved 22 April 2025.

Bibliography

[edit]