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 bring it forward to late 2024, in order to allow for the renewal of the party's regional branches—most of which had been swept from power as a result of the 28 May 2023 elections—in time for 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 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. 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. 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.
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. 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. Sánchez ultimately chose to continue, denouncing a "harassment and bullying operation" and vowing to fight "even harder" as prime minister. 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.
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. The congress was announced on 30 August 2024 and officially called on 7 September. Initially planned for 15–17 November 2024, the congress was delayed two weeks for "logistical reasons".
Overview Role The federal congress of the PSOE is the party's highest decision-making body, having the power to define its platform and policy, amend its statutes and internal regulations and elect its federal governing bodies,. which included the executive commission (responsible for the party's day-to-day management under the coordination of a secretary-general, which was the party leader) and one-third of the members in the federal committee (made up of party notables and elected representatives, which was the PSOE's highest body between congresses)...
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. Ordinary 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 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..
Procedure Decisions at PSOE party congresses were adopted through delegate voting.. The 500 to 2,000 congress delegates—with the exact number being determined by the federal committee—were elected by party members and direct affiliates of the corresponding territorial area and in full enjoyment of their political rights,.. 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.. Candidates seeking to lead a congress delegation were required to collect the endorsements of between 12 and 15 percent of members in the territorial scope for which they sought election. 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.
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.. Voting in the primaries 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).. Candidates seeking to run were required to collect the endorsements of between three and five percent of members. In the event of only one candidate meeting this requirement, the primaries were to be left uncontested with such candidate being elected unopposed..
Timetable The key dates of the congress process are listed below (all times are CET):
7 September: Official announcement of the congress. : 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). : 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 Candidate Notable positions Announced Proclaimed Candidates who met endorsement requirements and were officially proclaimed to contest the party congress. Pedro Sánchez(age ) President of the Socialist International Prime Minister of Spain Secretary-General of the PSOE Member of the Congress of Deputies for MadridPresident pro tempore of the Council of the European Union Leader of the Opposition of Spain City Councillor of Madrid 7 September 2024
Declined The individuals in this section were the subject of speculation about their possible candidacy, but publicly denied or recanted interest in running:
Pilar Alegría (age ) — Minister of Education, Vocational Training and Sports of Spain ; Spokesperson of the Government of Spain ; Member of the Congress of Deputies for Zaragoza ; Spokesperson of the PSOE Executive Commission ; Minister of Education and Vocational Training of Spain ; Delegate of the Government of Spain in Aragon ; Spokesperson of the Socialist Group in the City Council of Zaragoza ; City Councillor of Zaragoza ; Minister of Innovation, Research and University of Aragon ; Member of the Cortes of Aragon for Zaragoza ; Secretary of Organization of the PSA–PSOE ; Member of the PSOE Executive Commission . Félix Bolaños (age ) — Minister of the Presidency, Justice and Relations with the Cortes of Spain ; Member of the Congress of Deputies for Madrid ; Secretary of Constitutional Reform and New Rights of the PSOE ; Minister of the Presidency, Relations with the Cortes and Democratic Memory of Spain ; Secretary-General of the Office of the Prime Minister of Spain . Josep Borrell (age ) — High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy ; Vice-President of the European Commission ; Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of Spain ; Member of the European Parliament for Spain ; President of the European Parliament ; Member of the Congress of Deputies for Barcelona ; Member of the PSOE Executive Commission ; Leader of the Opposition of Spain ; Spokesperson of the Socialist Group of the Congress ; Minister of Public Works, Transport and Environment of Spain ; Minister of Public Works and Urbanism of Spain ; Secretary of State of Finance of Spain ; Secretary-General of Budget and Public Expenditure of Spain ; City Councillor of Majadahonda . Emiliano García-Page (age ) — President of the Regional Government of Castilla–La Mancha ; Member of the Cortes of Castilla–La Mancha for Toledo ; Member of the PSOE Executive Commission ; Senator appointed by the Cortes of Castilla–La Mancha ; Mayor of Toledo ; City Councillor of Toledo ; Secretary-General of the PSCM–PSOE in the province of Toledo ; Second Vice President of the Regional Government of Castilla–La Mancha ; Minister of Institutional Relations of Castilla–La Mancha ; Minister-Spokersperson of Castilla–La Mancha ; Spokesperson of the Socialist Group in the Cortes of Castilla–La Mancha ; Minister of Social Welfare of Castilla–La Mancha ; Minister of Public Works of Castilla–La Mancha ; Deputy Mayor for Celebrations of Toledo .