Those that have revived the internal struggles in the PSdeG-PSOE will be the central issue of an extraordinary National Committee that the party will hold on January 10. This was decided this Monday by the executive chaired by José Ramón Gómez Besteiro. The conclave will also serve to “define a calendar of actions for the next municipal elections,” the party reports. And some of the voices critical of the socialist leader will be present, including that of the mayor of A Coruña, Inés Rey.
With this call, Besteiro takes a step forward to try that was unleashed by surprise 12 days ago. It all started with the complaint of alleged sexual harassment filed on an internal channel against the then socialist president of the Lugo Provincial Council, José Tomé. During this time, not only has rejection spread to the management of the PSdeG leader, who did not take action against his baron in Lugo until the case became public. Three of the critics of the general secretary have been denounced for workplace harassment: ; the number two of his government, José Manuel Lage; and the councilor of Barbadás, Xosé Carlos Valcárcel. They all deny the accusations.
The two former socialist councilors who have pointed out Rey and Lage have sent a letter to Besteiro to inform him of their complaint and express their “deep concern at the absence of” in front of the councilor and her number two. Esther Fontán and Eva Martínez Acón, the latter former general secretary of the socialist group of A Coruña, complain that the Galician leadership has not asked them both to abandon their organic and institutional positions as it did with Tomé and the councilor of Barbadás. “On other occasions, both at the state and regional level, the PSOE has known how to act quickly and determinedly, which is why we demand that same level of commitment in our case,” the former councilors argue.
Besteiro has not appeared after the meeting with his executive this Monday and against Rey and Lage. The PP of A Coruña has asked for his resignation. “We are not facing isolated and specific cases, we are facing a pattern of behavior,” says its spokesperson, Miguel Lorenzo.
Both Tomé and Valcárcel have left the party but remain as councilors of Monforte and Barbadás respectively despite Besteiro’s insistence on asking them for the minutes. Valcárcel, yes, has remained almost alone in the City Council. He was pointed out in Ferraz’s internal channel for alleged workplace harassment of a councilor who in turn denounced a colleague from the local government for sexual harassment. The five women who until now were part of his executive have abandoned him and only the two men now accompany him.
