The Partido Popular in Cantabria lodged a complaint on 10 November 2026 with the Junta Electoral Provincial against the Delegado del Gobierno in Cantabria, Pedro Casares (PSOE), alleging that the party used Delegación del Gobierno official communication channels to highlight appearances by a PSOE candidate during the election campaign. Specifically, the complaint concerns posts on the authority’s Instagramaccount showing visits to businesses on 9 November, in which Eduardo Magaldi, number two on the PSOE list for Congress in Cantabria, appears.
The PP’s general secretary in Cantabria, María José González Revuelta, said that the relevant posts had been submitted to the electoral authority as evidence. The PP is calling for an examination of whether they breached the requirement of institutional neutrality during the election campaign and, where appropriate, for sanctions to be initiated. No decisions by the Junta Electoral Provincial had been issued at the time of publication.
In Spain, electoral authorities at provincial and national level monitor compliance with the neutrality of public bodies during election periods. The applicable rules are set out in the Ley Orgánica del Régimen Electoral General and interpreted by the Junta Electoral Central. They prohibit public authorities from using their resources to promote individual candidates or parties. The competent Junta must determine on a case-by-case basis whether the posts criticised in Cantabria fall under these rules.
Casares and the PP have repeatedly clashed in public in recent weeks over the limits of permissible institutional communication. The complaint now filed, however, focuses on the specific use of the Delegación del Gobierno’s official Instagram account in connection with several business visits on 9 November. According to the Partido Popular, Magaldi’s presence in these posts is the basis for the complaint.
The case directly concerns Cantabria, as both the content being challenged and the office involved belong to the state’s representation in the autonomous community. Whether, and to what extent, any measures might affect the parties’ ongoing campaign in the region remains unclear. No statements have yet been made about a possible outcome of proceedings; this report reflects the status of the complaint and the individuals named.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).