40th Federal Congress of the PSOE

40th Federal Congress of the PSOE

15–17 October 2021
1,077 delegates in the federal congress Plurality of delegates needed to win
Turnout	1,027 (95.4%)
Candidate Pedro Sánchez Blank ballots Popular vote Cancelled Cancelled Delegate vote Unopposed N/A Executive 975 (94.9%) 52 (5.1%)
Secretary before election Pedro Sánchez Elected Secretary Pedro Sánchez

The 40th Federal Congress of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party was held in Valencia from 15 October to 17 October 2021, to renovate the governing bodies of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) and establish the party's main lines of action and strategy for the next leadership term. A primary election to elect the new party secretary-general was initially scheduled for 26 September, but as a result of no opposing candidates running for election, Pedro Sánchez was proclaimed unopposed as party leader on 13 September.^[1][2]

Background

Following the election of Pedro Sánchez as prime minister of Spain after a nine month-long government formation process, speculation emerged on the date of the next PSOE party congress; with the previous one having been held in June 2017, this meant a tentative date for the 40th congress of no later than June 2021. In late January 2020, online newspaper El Confidencial reported that Sánchez did not intend to convene the congress until autumn 2020 or early 2021, thus allowing him to focus in the organization of his coalition government and the negotiation of the budget laws.^[3]

With initial plans being redrawn as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the PSOE's executive committee voted on 11 January 2021 on a postponement to have the 40th congress held in October,^[4] with Valencia being selected as the host city on 15 March.^[5] with this being confirmed by the party's federal committee—the supreme decision-making body between congresses—on 3 July.^[6]

Timetable

The key dates are listed below (all times are CET):^[7][8]

• 3 July: Official announcement of the congress.
• Primaries:
  • 1 September: Submission of pre-candidacies and start of endorsement collection period.
  • 10 September: End of endorsement collection period.
  • 10–12 September: Proclamation of candidates.
  • 13 September: Official start of internal information campaign.
  • 25 September: Last day of internal information campaign.
• Congress delegations:
  • 1 September: Start of pre-candidacy submission period.
  • 3 September: End of pre-candidacy submission period and start of endorsement collection period.
  • 13 September: End of endorsement collection period.
  • 13–15 September: Proclamation of candidates.
  • 16 September: Official start of internal information campaign.
  • 25 September: Last day of internal information campaign.
• 26 September: Election of congress delegations and 1st round of primary election.
• 1–3 October: Pre-congress conventions.
• 3 October: 2nd round of primary election (if required).
• 15–17 October: Federal congress.

Candidates

Candidate		Age	Notable positions	Announced	Eliminated	Ref.
Elected
Candidate elected as secretary-general.
Pedro Sánchez		49	Prime Minister of Spain (since 2018) Secretary-General of the PSOE (2014–2016 and since 2017) Deputy in the Cortes Generales for Madrid (2009–2011, 2013–2016 and since 2019) Leader of the Opposition of Spain (2014–2016 and 2017–2018) City Councillor of Madrid (2004–2009)	1 September 2021	Y Elected	[9]

Results

Summary of the 26 September–17 October 2021 PSOE congress results

Candidate		Primary		Congress
				Secretary		Executive
		Votes	%	Votes	%	Votes	%
	Pedro Sánchez	Cancelled		Unopposed		975	94.94
Blank ballots				—		52	5.06
Total				—		1,027
Valid votes		Cancelled		—		1,027	100.00
Invalid votes						0	0.00
Votes cast / turnout						1,027	95.36
Abstentions						50	4.64
Registered voters				1,077		1,077
Sources[10][11]

Vote by delegates (Executive) Sánchez   94.94% Blank ballots   5.06%

References

1. "Pedro Sánchez es reelegido secretario general del PSOE sin rival". El Periódico (in Spanish). Madrid. EFE. 13 September 2021. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
2. "Partido Socialista Obrero Español. Partit dels Socialistes de Catalunya, P.Socialista de Euskadi E.E., Partido Socialista Popular, PSOE histórico". Historia Electoral.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 March 2023.
3. Romero, Juanma (26 January 2020). "Sánchez retrasa el congreso para centrarse en Moncloa y evita abrir la sucesión de Díaz". El Confidencial (in Spanish). Retrieved 2 September 2024.
4. Ruiz de Almirón, Víctor (11 January 2021). "El PSOE lleva a octubre su Congreso Federal aplazando las disputas regionales hasta final de año". ABC (in Spanish). Retrieved 2 September 2024.
5. "El 40 Congreso Federal del PSOE se celebrará en Valencia en octubre" (in Spanish). Madrid / Valencia: Europa Press. 15 March 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
6. "El Comité Federal ratifica que el 40 Congreso del PSOE será en València entre el 15 y el 17 de octubre". Valencia Plaza (in Spanish). EFE. 3 July 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
7. "Calendario 40º Congreso Federal" (PDF). PSOE (in Spanish). 3 July 2021. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 September 2021. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
8. Uría Molero, Ibon (17 February 2018). "15 cambios en el PSOE de Sánchez: las bases ganan poder y Ferraz tendrá la última palabra frente a los barones". 20 minutos (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 March 2022.
9. "Sánchez formaliza su candidatura para seguir al frente del PSOE". Heraldo de Aragón (in Spanish). Europa Press. 1 September 2021. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
10. "La nueva Comisión Ejecutiva Federal del PSOE, aprobada con el 95% de los votos". PSOE (in Spanish). 17 October 2021. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
11. Romero, Juanma (18 June 2017). "Sánchez reivindica la socialdemocracia y el legado del PSOE tras un congreso de unidad". El Periódico de España (in Spanish). Valencia. Retrieved 18 March 2022.