The president of Castilla-La Mancha, Emiliano García-Page, has raised his tone this Friday against the federal leadership of the PSOE by describing as a “shoddy fix” what happened in the Federal Committee of 2016 that ended with Pedro Sánchez's departure as general secretary.
According to what he stated, in that conclave “there was an attempt to steal the democracy of the Socialist Party”, denouncing irregularities in the development of the internal vote and in the participation of attendees.
Emiliano García-Page on the PSOE committee videos in 2016: "They tried to prevent many people from voting, it was a democratic trick, a rigged election"
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An "embarrassing" episode that marked the PSOE
Page has described that day as "the worst day" of his political life and has assured that what was experienced was "shameful", in reference to the internal confrontation that fractured the party and opened an unprecedented crisis in Spanish socialism.
In his account, he maintains that a scenario of “democratic trompe-l'oeil” was generated, in which not all members were able to exercise their right to vote under equal conditions.
Notice to management: "I will recount in detail what happened"
The socialist leader has not limited himself to political criticism, but has issued a direct warning: "I will tell in detail what happened", he stated, leaving open the possibility of revealing new information about that episode.
Furthermore, he has linked what happened in 2016 with the current situation of the party by stating that “from those powders, these muds”, suggesting that internal tensions continue to originate in that process.
Page's statements come after the recent release of videos from that Federal Committee, which reignite the debate about how Sánchez's fall occurred and the control of the party at that time.
What happened at that Federal Committee in 2016
At the PSOE Federal Committee on October 1, 2016, what was being voted on was not a primary election or a direct leadership election, but Pedro Sánchez's continuity at the head of the party and, above all, control of the governing body amidst an internal crisis.
What was being voted on exactly
- The validity of the resignation of half of the Federal Executive Committee: the critical sector argued that, with more than half of its members resigning, Sánchez's leadership was automatically dissolved.
- Who should lead the party at that time: whether Sánchez's Executive Committee should remain in charge or if a provisional management committee should be imposed.
- Control of the Federal Committee's presidency and the agenda, which in practice determined who had the internal majority.
Result
The majority of the Federal Committee ended up supporting the critical position:
- The interpretation that the Executive Committee had fallen was imposed.
- Pedro Sánchez resigned that same day.