Lobato files notary report on Moncloa leak, sparking PSOE crisis

Lobato files notary report on Moncloa leak, sparking PSOE crisis

Juan Lobato, the General Secretary of the PSOE de Madrid (the Madrid branch of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party), has gone to a notary to certify that Pilar Sánchez Acera, chief of staff to Óscar López, sent him information about Isabel Díaz Ayuso's partner intended for use during a control session. The revelation, published by ABC, has triggered a backlash at Ferraz (the PSOE headquarters) and left his leadership of the PSM (Madrid branch) in serious doubt. The party leadership learned of the maneuver yesterday afternoon, after the Supreme Court had already ordered the seizure of the mobile phone and computer of the Attorney General, Álvaro García Ortiz, on suspicion of revealing secrets.

The notary report destabilizing the Madrid federation

Lobato admitted in several interviews that he went to the notary without previously informing Sánchez Acera or Ferraz. He did so right after the Supreme Court ordered the seizure of the Attorney General's devices. For one faction of the party, this sequence suggests the Madrid leader sought written protection against any fallout from the judicial proceedings. "A monumental blunder," sources from the PSM summarized. Other internal voices see it differently: they claim he was pressured into committing an illegality, refused, and left a notary record of the inducement. The problem, they add, is that he stopped halfway to being honest.

The leak of the emails is an especially sensitive issue for the Government. It has placed the Attorney General in a position of profound weakness and has reinforced the feeling that Moncloa facilitated compromising material about Ayuso's partner for parliamentary use. The Supreme Court has already called Lobato himself as a witness, turning the episode into an open judicial front.

The 'Minister Operation' and Óscar López's name

In discussions between the PSM and Ferraz, what was demanded was the "minister operation": that the national leadership go all-in in Madrid and promote someone from the Government capable of speaking as an equal to the business world. In this context, the name of the Minister of Digital Transformation and former chief of staff to Pedro Sánchez, Óscar López, emerged, as reported by eldiario.es. The Minister of Justice and Presidency, Félix Bolaños, has been rumored for the role for years, but Madrid is not in his plans. Lobato has been criticized for being insufficiently firm with Ayuso—whereas Óscar López is quite the opposite—and for taking a position that is too centrist.

Internal support for Lobato is disputed. According to close sources, he had the support of all mayors except for Javier Ayala of Fuenlabrada and the mayor of Getafe, Sara Hernández. Other sources place his support at 40% and suggest the rest are waiting for a replacement because the proposed names were not considered strong enough to oust him. In the recent European elections, Ferraz had already put the PSM General Secretary in the firing line because half of the vote gap with the PP occurred in Madrid.

Resignation, motion of confidence, or January congress

"Many in the party believe he must resign before the federal congress" taking place this weekend in Seville, sources within the organization noted. If that does not happen, at the very least, he will "not lead" the delegation. Reyes Maroto has asked Lobato to call a meeting of the PSOE de Madrid executive committee and face a motion of confidence. Santos Cerdán later admitted he had agreed on the statement with Lobato after previously denying it. Meanwhile, Sánchez Acera has been dismissed as a board member of Paradores trinc Lobato's statement. This episode could decide the next PSM congress in January if no other decision is made sooner.

Some read the move as an internal settling of scores. The criticism has personal undertones because Lobato has discredited Sánchez Acera, who is part of his executive as the head of institutional policy. "The more he speaks, the more he messes up," noted Madrid socialists. Others see the notary report as a survival tactic: protecting his seat before the judicial case advances. Lobato himself has said he does not believe what he was told was false, as that would be quite serious.

The context the PSOE wants to avoid repeating

The PSM is a historically conflictive federation, with Ferraz frequently intervening and decades without holding power in Madrid. Now, additionally, it has fallen to the third-largest political force in the region. The national leadership is torn between launching an alternative to lead the party in Madrid or waiting for the regional election candidate. The "minister operation" seeks a heavyweight profile capable of competing with Ayuso, who has become a machine for wearing down the socialists. The most optimistic calculation assumes that Óscar López is eager and "very good"; the pessimistic scenario points to his unsuccessful previous run for the Junta de Castilla y León and the lack of confirmation that he wants the position.

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With these circumstances, the Madrid federation faces its January congress with its General Secretary certifying a leak before a notary and the national leadership measuring how long it takes for him to fall. The question is no longer whether Lobato resigns, but who will fill the void and with what support. No one in the PSOE wants to answer that question out loud.