A former secretary filed a lawsuit in London and criticism has been mounting for alleged financial irregularities.
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The socialist president of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, was denounced for workplace harassment by the former Secretary General of the Socialist International, Benedicta Lasi, in a process that is being processed in London.
The accusation focuses on alleged illegal practices and a climate of hostility within the organization during his term of office, which aggravates the internal crisis that the entity is going through.
The Ghanaian jurist, elected in 2022 as general secretary together with the president of the Spanish Government, detailed in an extensive letter a series of episodes that show a progressive deterioration in her relationship with Sánchez's environment.
The document describes a context of constant pressure, repeated disauthorizations and a systematic reduction of his functions, which ended up making his continuity in office unfeasible.
Pedro Sanchez.
The conflict reached its peak in 2023, amid the decision to move the organization's financial operations from London to
Spain.
According to Lasi, this measure did not respect the usual procedures nor was it clearly explained to members. In this context, the opening of an account with Banco Santander to manage the quotas of affiliated parties became one of the main sources of internal dispute
.
During that period, the former secretary also claims to have been the subject of internal suspicions related to her economic management, accusations that she categorically rejects.
In turn, she reported having been excluded from key meetings, including a presidential appointment held at the end of January 2024, despite occupying a central role within the structure. The situation finally led to his dismissal on February 24, which, according to his account, occurred abruptly
. Pedro Sánchez and Benedicta Lasi.
Tensions are not limited to the case of Lasi. The Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), a member of the Socialist International since 2003, decided to leave the organization last December
.
The Mexican group attributes its departure to what it considers to be authoritarian management on the part of Sánchez and to a generalized institutional deterioration. In addition, it analyzes taking legal action both in Madrid and in London for alleged financial irregularities
.
Among the PRI's questions, the lack of transparency in the organization's accounts stands out. According to various sources, no financial reports have been submitted since Sanchez came to the presidency in November 2022, despite the fact that party fees could have generated revenues of more than five million euros in that period
.
The Mexican formation also warns of an internal climate marked by pressures and maneuvers aimed at limiting the participation of critical sectors. In one of its communications, the PRI argued that the Socialist International would have been subordinated to the political interests of the Spanish Government, conditioning both its agenda and its strategic decisions
