Spain’s ruling Socialist Party (PSOE) has announced a strict new rule: its members are no longer allowed to buy sex. Politicians who break the rule will be expelled from the party.
Several scandals in the past
This decision comes after several scandals involving high-ranking party members, prostitutes, and corruption. The PSOE says it considers prostitution a form of violence against women. The new rule will be added to the party’s official regulations.
“If we believe that a woman’s body is not for sale, then there is no place in our party for those who act otherwise,” said Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who is also the leader of the PSOE.
The rule was approved shortly after the resignation of key figures involved in the scandals. These include Santos Cerdán, the party’s general secretary, who stepped down after being arrested, and Francisco Salazar, a close aide to Sánchez, who resigned after accusations of inappropriate behavior. Former Transport Minister José Luis Ábalos has also been linked to the controversy.
They had difficult days
Sánchez admitted that these were difficult days for his party but rejected calls for his own resignation. “A captain does not abandon ship in rough waters,” he said.
The conservative opposition party, the People’s Party (PP), is using the scandal to gain political ground. It recently held an emergency meeting, calling itself “the only real alternative” to the government.
The PSOE defines itself as a feminist party. Banning prostitution and protecting women’s rights have long been among its main goals.
The new policy has sparked public debate across Spain.
Some support the move as a step toward gender equality, while others argue it goes too far. Still, the message from the party leadership is clear: sex for money has no place in Spanish politics.
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