Abalos leaves PSOE for Mixed Group
Abalos joins the Mixed Group after refusing to resign his seat. The PSOE loses a deputy, dropping to 120 seats amid the Koldo case scandal.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Abalos quits PSOE and moves to Mixed Group keeping his seat
What does a deputy risk when asked to resign but refuses? José Luis Ábalos, former PSOE organization secretary, announced on February 27, 2024, that he is leaving the Socialist Parliamentary Group to join the Mixed Group. He rejected Ferraz's ultimatum demanding he surrender his Valencia deputy seat within 24 hours due to "political responsibility" in the Koldo case. By remaining in the Lower House, Ábalos retains his privileged status (aforamiento). The PSOE loses one seat, falling to 120 deputies, further complicating the government's parliamentary arithmetic.
Details of the PSOE ultimatum
The PSOE Executive set a deadline expiring at 11:00 AM Tuesday. Spokesperson Esther Peña stated the previous day: "We are not judges or prosecutors, nor do we judge, but we believe there is political responsibility and expect the resignation of the seat within the next 24 hours." Ultimately, no formal expulsion occurred. In an agreed decision, the socialist leadership allowed their former senior official to announce his departure himself. Santos Cerdán, his friend and successor as organization secretary, admitted on Tuesday that he had recently spoken with Ábalos, who assured him he would issue a statement regarding whether he would surrender his seat.
Privileged status as procedural guarantee
Keeping the seat is not a minor detail. By remaining in Congress, Ábalos maintains his privileged legal status (aforamiento), which transfers any potential incivil proceedings to the Supreme Court and completely changes the procedure. Some argue this is the true reason he won't give up his seat; others counter that the PSOE could not force an expulsion without opening a larger internal front. Fundamentally, both sides need each other: him to retain immunity, and the party to prevent the matter from escalating to ordinary courts prematurely.
Blow to parliamentary arithmetic
The PSOE is left with 120 seats. This is not the first time in this legislature that governing parties have lost deputies who joined the Mixed Group: it previously peine with the split between Podemos and Sumar, which left Yolanda Díaz's party with 27 seats and Ione Belarra leading a sub-group of four people, including the former minister, from the mixed group. It remains to be seen how far Ábalos will take his new situation and whether he plans to break voting discipline or continue voting with his former colleagues. With such a tight parliament, every vote counts.
Salary adjustments
Ábalos did submit his resignation as President of the Congress Interior Committee on Monday. This means he will stop receiving a supplement of €1,598 per month, corresponding to leading the parliamentary committee, and will keep the €3,142 salary of a regular deputy, now from the Mixed Group.
Political speculation
The most common interpretation is that everything was agreed: he pretends to leave, the party doesn't strip his immunity, he continues voting like the PSOE, and publicly the socialist leadership appears honest. Others suggest he won't speak out because the PSOE will cover costs related to alleged parties involving prostitutes and cocaine to ensure his silence. A third, more cynical view holds that his seat is gold in such a tight parliament and his vote will go to the highest bidder. The only certainty is that no one makes a move without calculating the price first.
With these elements, the outcome is clear. Ábalos stays, the PSOE breathes easier, and his privileged status remains intact. All very clean, indeed.
What does a deputy risk when asked to resign but refuses? José Luis Ábalos, former PSOE organization secretary, announced on February 27, 2024, that he is leaving the Socialist Parliamentary Group to join the Mixed Group. He rejected Ferraz's ultimatum demanding he surrender his Valencia deputy seat within 24 hours due to "political responsibility" in the Koldo case. By remaining in the Lower House, Ábalos retains his privileged status (aforamiento). The PSOE loses one seat, falling to 120 deputies, further complicating the government's parliamentary arithmetic.
Details of the PSOE ultimatum
The PSOE Executive set a deadline expiring at 11:00 AM Tuesday. Spokesperson Esther Peña stated the previous day: "We are not judges or prosecutors, nor do we judge, but we believe there is political responsibility and expect the resignation of the seat within the next 24 hours." Ultimately, no formal expulsion occurred. In an agreed decision, the socialist leadership allowed their former senior official to announce his departure himself. Santos Cerdán, his friend and successor as organization secretary, admitted on Tuesday that he had recently spoken with Ábalos, who assured him he would issue a statement regarding whether he would surrender his seat.
Privileged status as procedural guarantee
Keeping the seat is not a minor detail. By remaining in Congress, Ábalos maintains his privileged legal status (aforamiento), which transfers any potential incivil proceedings to the Supreme Court and completely changes the procedure. Some argue this is the true reason he won't give up his seat; others counter that the PSOE could not force an expulsion without opening a larger internal front. Fundamentally, both sides need each other: him to retain immunity, and the party to prevent the matter from escalating to ordinary courts prematurely.
Blow to parliamentary arithmetic
The PSOE is left with 120 seats. This is not the first time in this legislature that governing parties have lost deputies who joined the Mixed Group: it previously peine with the split between Podemos and Sumar, which left Yolanda Díaz's party with 27 seats and Ione Belarra leading a sub-group of four people, including the former minister, from the mixed group. It remains to be seen how far Ábalos will take his new situation and whether he plans to break voting discipline or continue voting with his former colleagues. With such a tight parliament, every vote counts.
Salary adjustments
Ábalos did submit his resignation as President of the Congress Interior Committee on Monday. This means he will stop receiving a supplement of €1,598 per month, corresponding to leading the parliamentary committee, and will keep the €3,142 salary of a regular deputy, now from the Mixed Group.
Political speculation
The most common interpretation is that everything was agreed: he pretends to leave, the party doesn't strip his immunity, he continues voting like the PSOE, and publicly the socialist leadership appears honest. Others suggest he won't speak out because the PSOE will cover costs related to alleged parties involving prostitutes and cocaine to ensure his silence. A third, more cynical view holds that his seat is gold in such a tight parliament and his vote will go to the highest bidder. The only certainty is that no one makes a move without calculating the price first.
With these elements, the outcome is clear. Ábalos stays, the PSOE breathes easier, and his privileged status remains intact. All very clean, indeed.
Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (104 replies).
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