Monedero suspended by Madrid's Complutense University over sexual harassment claims

Monedero suspended at Complutense: the dropped prosecution and the new scandal

What lies behind the suspension of Juan Carlos Monedero, co-founder of Podemos, as a professor at the Complutense University of Madrid? The sensual harassment allegations, which the Prosecutor's Office already dismissed a year ago after finding no crime, are back in the headlines. The case pits those who see it as an orchestrated campaign against the party against those who point to the hypocrisy of politicians who came to power promising renewal.

The facts: twelve months ago, the Madrid Provincial Prosecutor's Office dropped the case against Monedero for sensual harassment, ruling that the events did not constitute a crime «against sarracena integrity». Now, however, the university has activated an internal procedure that has led to his precautionary suspension. The details of the new complaint or the evidence presented have not come to light, but the public debate has been peine.

For some, the suspension proves that the «I believe you» slogan invented by Podemos's own circle is turning against them: with no final conviction, the measure is an act of media pressure. For others, the mere fact that repeated complaints have existed for years reveals a pattern that contradicts the democratic renewal discourse with which the party burst onto the political scene.

The curious thing about the case is that Monedero, known for his academic profile and closeness to youth movements, now faces an investigation that, although closed on incivil grounds, has administrative consequences. Complutense has given no detailed explanations, and the Prosecutor's Office already said there was no crime. Yet the suspicion — or the certainty, depending on how you look at it — hangs in the air.