Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has decided to dismiss Antonio Hernández, Francisco Salazar's right-hand man in La Moncloa, following sexual harassment allegations against the latter. The measure, agreed with Hernández, will take effect at Tuesday's Council of Ministers. Additionally, María Jesús Montero expels him from the PSOE's Andalucía executive.
Pedro Sánchez has decided to dismiss Antonio Hernández from his role as director of the Political Coordination Department in the Office of the President of the Government. Hernández, seen as Francisco Salazar's right-hand man and a key advisor in electoral analysis and strategy at La Moncloa, is leaving amid the crisis sparked by sexual harassment and abuse of power allegations filed by two workers at the presidential complex against Salazar in July 2025.
Hernández's departure, first reported by elDiario.es and confirmed by government sources, was agreed upon with him and will be formalized on Tuesday at the Council of Ministers. Government sources emphasize that, while Hernández denies protecting Salazar, his position became untenable after the publication of the complaints, in which one victim accuses him of complicity, engaging in 'gaslighting' to downplay his boss's behavior.
In parallel, First Vice President and PSOE general secretary in Andalucía, María Jesús Montero, has expelled Hernández from the regional executive, where he was responsible for the Data, Analysis, and Prospective Secretariat. Montero, a candidate for the Presidency of the Junta in the June elections, admitted on Saturday that the case was managed 'very badly' and that the party failed to properly support the victims.
Sánchez broke his silence on Saturday at Congress, personally assuming responsibility for the 'error in the speed of interaction' with the complainants, whom the PSOE did not contact despite complaints filed through its anti-harassment channel. The socialist leader denied any connivance with Salazar and committed to expediting the proceedings against him, though he rejected taking the case to the prosecutor's office as the complaints are anonymous. This crisis has fueled internal discontent in the PSOE, with criticism from figures like Adriana Lastra over the leadership's inaction.
