New images revealed from the Federal Committee of the PSOE held on October 1, 2016, where the current President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, fell as general secretary of the socialists, increase the unknowns about the transparency of that meeting, which lasted more than twelve hours.
The most controversial episode occurred when the sector aligned with Sánchez pushed for a ballot vote to decide the convening of an extraordinary congress. However, the procedure was harshly questioned by attendees.
According to the now-known images, the ballot box was placed behind a screen and without clear control of the census or the presence of poll watchers, which generated immediate suspicions among the members of the Federal Committee.
Shouts of "rigged election" and internal tension
The situation led to an atmosphere of strong tension, with party leaders shouting "rigged election" considering the process irregular, while others tried to continue with the vote in a climate of growing organizational chaos.
The lack of consensus on the validity of the procedure ended up deepening the division between the two opposing blocs within the party, at a time already of maximum internal fracture.
A turning point in the PSOE crisis
The 2016 Federal Committee episode has since been interpreted as a turning point in the PSOE crisis, which led to Pedro Sánchez's resignation after losing leadership to the critical sector.
The controversial ballot box vote, added to the tension accumulated during the day, was one of the elements that precipitated the outcome of that meeting.