2017 PSOE federal party congress

2017 PSOE federal party congress

21 May 2017 (primary)
16−18 June 2017 (congress)

988 delegates in the Federal Congress
Plurality of delegates needed to win
Opinion polls
RegisteredPrimary: 187,949
TurnoutPrimary: 149,951 (79.8%)
Congress: 956 (96.8%)
 
Candidate Pedro Sánchez Susana Díaz Patxi López
Popular vote 74,805 (49.9%) 59,392 (39.6%) 14,652 (9.8%)
Delegate vote Unopposed Withdrew Withdrew
Executive 674 (71.1%) Withdrew Withdrew


Party leader before election

Caretaker commission headed by Javier Fernández

Party leader after election

Pedro Sánchez

The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) held its 39th federal congress in Madrid between 16 and 18 June 2017, to renovate its governing bodies—including the post of secretary-general, which amounted to that of party leader—and establish the party platform and policy until the next congress, after the sacking of Pedro Sánchez as party leader in October 2016 had resulted in a caretaker leadership being appointed. The primary election was held on 21 May 2017, after being confirmed in a federal committee on 1 April.

The leadership race was the first to be held after the party's electoral setbacks in both the 2015 and 2016 general elections in which the party scored its two worst electoral records since the Spanish transition to democracy. An extraordinary party congress had been held in July 2014 after Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba's resignation, in which Pedro Sánchez had been elected as new party leader. However, no ordinary congress had been held since 2012. Former President of the Congress of Deputies and former Lehendakari Patxi López publicly announced his bid as candidate on 15 January, with President of the Regional Government of Andalusia Susana Díaz and Sánchez himself following suit.

The election resulted in Pedro Sánchez being re-elected as Secretary-General in a landslide. Sánchez would ultimately lead the PSOE into government after a successful vote of no confidence which would see Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and his People's Party ousted from power.