Podcast Summary: "El Abierto | Una mayoría quiere elecciones anticipadas y el golpe al PSOE del caso Salazar"

Podcast: Hoy por Hoy – SER Podcast
Host: Àngels Barceló
Date: December 9, 2025
Panelists: Víctor Lapuente, Gonzalo Velasco, Lourdes Pérez
Main Theme: Analysis of the latest political atmosphere in Spain after a major poll, focusing on political leadership crisis, election prospects, the Salazar scandal’s impact on the PSOE, and intense debate on hospital privatization and government accountability.

EPISODE OVERVIEW

This episode centers on two significant topics:

• A revealing new poll about Spanish political leaders’ approval and public appetite for early elections
• The fallout within the PSOE from the Paco Salazar sexual harassment and corruption cases, alongside questions about the government's handling and strategies
  The panel delves into the dismal public confidence in all political leaders, the internal dramas facing the main parties, the social and ethical implications of recent scandals, and the ongoing controversy over privatization of public health care in Madrid. The show also briefly covers international news (Syria) and breaking judicial developments (Operation Kitchen, Madrid nursing home deaths).

MAJOR SECTIONS & DISCUSSION POINTS

1. Spanish Political Leaders: Public Discontent and Internal Party Dynamics

[01:36–14:28]

• Poll Results – Unprecedented Disapproval:

  • All main party leaders receive sub-3.5/10 scores from the public, underscoring deep civic disillusionment.
  • "Ninguno de los candidatos a la presidencia del Gobierno convence a la ciudadanía. Todos quedan por debajo de ese tres y medio" (Guillermo Lerma, 02:27).
  • Pedro Sánchez tops with 3.34, followed closely by Santiago Abascal, then Feijóo and Yolanda Díaz—all in a tiny range, illustrating general malaise.
  • Extremely high rejection rates: 40% of respondents gave Sánchez a ‘zero’; 33% did the same to Feijóo.

• Internal Party Perceptions:

  • PP: Isabel Díaz Ayuso is more highly valued than Feijóo (score 7.9 from PP voters). She also outperforms him among VOX voters and is first in empathy, preparation, and integrity.
  • PSOE: Sánchez remains most valued internally, with significant gaps to his colleagues. García-Page scores higher among right-wing voters than left, highlighting inter-party polarization.

• Analysis of Leadership Weakness:

  • A consensus about the profound crisis afflicting all parties—especially among moderate figures:
    • "Es una doble losa sobre la política española que está viviendo uno de los momentos de mayor descrédito y mayor desilusión ciudadana" (Víctor Lapuente, 08:10).
    • Lourdes Pérez wryly notes grades under 3.5 would be a “cateo rotundo” (utter fail) in “her day”.
  • The vehemence of Ayuso and Abascal is more valued in a hyper-polarized, rightward-shifting environment.
    • "Está triunfando esa hegemonía cultural que está intentando generar Ayuso" (Gonzalo Velasco, 11:23).

Notable Quotes:

• "Muchos electores ponen un cero a los candidatos, un 40% pone un cero a Sánchez y un 33% a Feijóo." (Víctor Lapuente, 06:17)
• "Ayuso... genera un tipo de adhesión más allá incluso de las propias siglas del PP, que se está convirtiendo en algo muy difícil de atacar para la izquierda." (Lourdes Pérez, 15:13)

2. Demand for Early Elections & Underlying Social Discontent

[04:15–05:41, 24:40–29:00]

• Appetite for Snap Elections:

  • 6 in 10 Spaniards want Sánchez to call early elections. This is most intense (90%) among PP and Vox supporters, but even on the left the debate brews, albeit with more willingness to "endure" Sánchez for the full term.
  • Yet, 70% believe the government will see out the term—reflecting more resignation than hope.

• Panelists express concern that this attitude signals both ruling class exhaustion and societal weariness. Lourdes provocatively floats the idea of elections—but suggests the public really wants entirely new candidates, not just a new date.

  • "La consecuencia de los dos sumatorios es que tenemos que ir a elecciones con otros candidatos, con una renovación absoluta del mapa político." (Lourdes Pérez, 08:59)

3. Catastrophic Handling of the Salazar Affair (Sexual Harassment & PSOE Crisis)

[21:34–36:43]

• Summary of the Scandal:

  • The government’s reaction to the Salazar case (adviser close to Sánchez, accused and belatedly investigated for sexual harassment) is deemed slow, inadequate, and non-transparent, fueling suspicions of cover-ups and undermining feminist credibility.
  • "Eso es machismo absolutamente expreso, es imposible que nadie se hubiera percatado, eso se sabía y había permeado" (Lourdes Pérez, 31:40; re: Salazar’s workplace behavior).

• Panel Analysis:

  • Both Víctor Lapuente and Gonzalo Velasco stress that the case strikes deeply at PSOE’s identity and hurts most among women—a key base for Sánchez.
  • Dangerously for the government, attempts to “change the subject” (e.g., shifting to public health issues) are short-term optics, not solutions:
    • "Distraer la atención…es un arma de doble filo. El golpe va a ser muy fuerte." (Víctor Lapuente, 33:26)

• Systems & Ethics:

  • Unlike criminal accountability, the panel asserts political liability is quick and severe: “rápida y brutal”. Felipe González and Rajoy both lost millions of votes in similar circumstances.

Notable Quotes:

• "La responsabilidad política es rápida y brutal. Y el Partido Popular perdió tres millones de votos. El daño es absolutamente inevitable." (Víctor Lapuente, 33:26)
• "Eso le hace un daño muy profundo al PSOE y singularmente al feminismo." (Lourdes Pérez, 32:35)
• "Tiene que haber una crisis, en el sentido de que se desgaje...un partido que tiene que ser reformado y cuya admisión de responsabilidades tiene que ser orgánica, estructural y el Gobierno..." (Gonzalo Velasco, 35:59)

4. Privatization Scandals: The Torrejón Hospital Case & Broader Debate

[39:07–51:16]

• Context:

  • The panel turns to the public outcry over apparent mismanagement and lack of transparency in Madrid’s partially privatized health system—focusing on the Torrejón hospital (managed by Ribera Salud).
  • The Ayuso government is accused of rolling back transparency on hospital contracts and audits, right amid growing evidence of cost-cutting measures that harm patient care.

• Ethical and Policy Implications:

  • Lourdes Pérez, Gonzalo Velasco, and Víctor Lapuente distinguish between legitimate public-private cooperation and business models where profit motives supersede public interest.
  • "El límite tiene que estar en el negocio... No es lo mismo prestar un servicio público y recibir unas cantidades por ello, con transparencia, que considerar que esto es circunvalar con espíritu de buitre aspectos nucleares de este país." (Lourdes Pérez, 43:47)
  • The 1997 law (Aznar/PP) enabled broad hospital outsourcing; panelists warn that today’s hospital and elderly care contracts too often lack oversight, allow exploitation, and diminish quality.
  • Both the need for public scrutiny and the risk that administrations lack expert capacity to negotiate/monitor contracts are flagged as urgent gaps.

Notable Quotes:

• "La primera regla es la transparencia total." (Víctor Lapuente, 47:35)
• "Las memorias económicas tendrían que ser públicas y las auditorías obligatorias." (Gonzalo Velasco, 51:01)

5. Judicial and Social Accountability: Madrid Nursing Homes, Operation Kitchen, and More

[51:31–59:44]

• Madrid Nursing Home Deaths:

  • The reactivation of cases investigating more than 7,000 deaths in elder residences during the pandemic highlights public demand for truth and accountability for decisions that excluded the elderly from hospital care.
  • Family groups continue to pressure for a unified judicial approach.

• Operation Kitchen & Cospedal:

  • New revelations expose potential deliberate judicial inaction in the corruption case involving Partido Popular’s Cospedal and police attempts to obstruct investigations into party finances.
  • "La acusación popular del PSOE ha hallado ahora de forma casual este informe de la Policía, ignorado por la Audiencia más de dos años." (Ángel Campos, 55:19)
  • Audio excerpts aired of Villarejo and Cospedal discussing sabotage of investigations and political maneuvers, highlighting perceived impunity and political collusion.

Memorable Moments:

• "Ojalá haya bronca en la calle, sería cojonudo..." (Cospedal-Villarejo audio, 58:57)

6. International News: Syria’s Regime Change and Social Fragility

[60:00–64:05]

• On the first anniversary of Assad’s fall in Syria, a million fill the streets of Damascus to celebrate, but deep fear and mistrust linger among minority groups (Alawites, Catholics, Druze).
• Spanish reporters describe a divided, impoverished country struggling with security, social integration, and the attempted return of tourism.
  • "El 90% de la población bajo el umbral de la pobreza..." (Nicolás Castellano, 64:03)

TIMESTAMPS RECAP: IMPORTANT SEGMENTS

• 01:36–14:28: Poll analysis—public disapproval of leaders, party internal dynamics
• 04:15, 24:40–29:00: Appetite for early elections, panelist interpretations
• 21:34–36:43: Salazar scandal, political and feminist fallout, leadership implications
• 39:07–51:16: Torrejón hospital case, debate on public-private health, transparency
• 51:31–59:44: Madrid nursing homes judicial updates, Operation Kitchen & Cospedal tapes
• 60:00–64:05: Syria post-Assad, minority fears, Spanish tourism attempts

FINAL REMARKS & SIGNATURE QUOTES

• "Todos los líderes suspenden para los encuestados, lo hacen con nota muy bajas, por debajo del 3 y medio." (Guillermo Lerma, 01:37)
• "La decepción tiene que ver con que se demuestra que es una organización poco fiable y ya no quedan argumentos posibles." (Gonzalo Velasco, 34:49)
• "El caso Salazar castiga mucho al PSOE porque el machismo se castiga, particularmente en la izquierda..." (Víctor Lapuente, 33:26)
• "No es lo mismo prestar un servicio público y recibir unas cantidades por ello... que conseguir circunvalar con espíritu de buitre aspectos que son nucleares de este país." (Lourdes Pérez, 43:47)

This episode offers a panoramic yet incisive dive into the crossroads facing Spanish politics—where public trust, party structures, and ethical governance are being tested by scandal, polarization, and systemic challenges. The panel’s tone is critical, direct, and occasionally sardonic, but focused on unpacking the roots of current malaise in power and society.