Senate Inquiry Highlights Political Tensions Over Harassment Allegations and Party Disputes
Félix Bolaños defends Prime Minister Sánchez amid harassment allegations, while PP leader Feijóo rebukes Vox's Abascal over party candidate disputes ahead of critical Extremadura elections.
- • Félix Bolaños testified in the Senate about CIS-related investigations and denied protecting Pedro Sánchez regarding harassment claims against Paco Salazar.
- • The PP accused Bolaños of covering for Sánchez, while Bolaños clarified Salazar was not directly dependent on the president and no complaints were received about him.
- • Senator Vicente Tirado suggested referring the harassment claims to the Fiscalía due to lack of formal complaints.
- • PP leader Feijóo criticized Vox's Abascal for undue influence over PP candidates and highlighted the importance of upcoming Extremadura elections.
Key details
On December 5, 2025, key political developments unfolded in Spain as Félix Bolaños, Minister of the Presidency, Justice, and Relations with the Cortes, testified before the Senate regarding allegations linked to the Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas (CIS). The opposition Popular Party (PP) accused Bolaños of shielding Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez concerning claims of harassment by former advisor Paco Salazar toward female workers inside Moncloa. Bolaños clarified that Salazar did not report directly to Sánchez but was only on the ministry’s payroll and insisted he had no complaints about Salazar’s behavior. However, Senator Vicente Tirado pressed Bolaños about the lack of formal action against Salazar, suggesting the issue be presented to the Fiscalía for investigation.
Meanwhile, the PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo sharply criticized Vox president Santiago Abascal amidst electoral tensions in Extremadura. Feijóo accused Abascal of an undemocratic influence on PP candidates, rejecting any manipulation and defending candidate María Guardiola’s autonomy. Expressing concern about Spain’s political future amid ongoing misgovernment, Feijóo emphasized the December 21 regional elections as pivotal for setting a new path based on honest politics.
These events collectively underscore heightened scrutiny and accountability pressures within Spanish politics, revealing stark party disputes and ongoing investigations linked to misconduct claims and internal electoral dynamics.
This article was synthesized and translated from native language sources to provide English-speaking readers with local perspectives.
