White smoke on the left in Spanish politics. The left-wing party Podemos, together with smaller left-wing parties, will form a front with the new Sumar citizens’ movement of Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Díaz in the July 23 elections. The alliance now has a total of fifteen parties, including Mas Madrid, Izquierda Unida and Catalunya en Comú.
Read also: Popular Spanish deputy prime minister Yolanda Díaz hopes to unite the left, but faces resistance
In recent days, all eyes have been on the negotiations between the left-wing parties. Podemos now forms a coalition government with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s social-democratic party PSOE. The PSOE is not part of the alliance on its left flank. For the left to have a chance to form a coalition again after the elections, the smaller parties must unite. Partly due to the divisions on the left, the right-wing conservative Partido Popular is now leading in the polls.
The popular communist deputy prime minister and minister Yolanda Díaz Pérez (Labor) wants to become Spain’s first female prime minister with Sumar. She presents Sumar as a civic platform that listens to the wishes of the people. According to the polls, the left-wing alliance may become the third party in the country.
Failed rape law
A tricky point during the negotiations between Podemos and Sumar was the position of minister Irene Montero (Equality, Podemos). Yolanda Díaz does not want to add her to the electoral list, because Montero is responsible for the failed rape law Solo si es si (“Only yes is yes”). More than 700 sex offenders have been released unintentionally because of that law. The law prescribes that convicts can claim a reduced sentence if the sentence for the offense is reduced in a new law – which was the case with Montero’s law. After a political row, Prime Minister Sánchez amended the law by reversing the sentences.
Partly due to the division on the left, the right-wing conservative Partido Popular is leading in the polls
The debacle has made Irene Montero one of the lowest-rated ministers in Sánchez’s government. According to her, Montero’s participation in the left-wing alliance led by Yolanda Díaz could therefore already mean a settlement by the voter in advance, and Díaz does not want to risk that.
Also read this profile of Irene Montero: The success of the Spanish minister of equality falters
Still, party leader of Podemos Ione Belarra insisted that Montero be on the list, otherwise the collaboration would not take place. In a response, Belarra said she supports the alliance. “It hurts me that Yolanda wants to base the alliance on the exclusion of a colleague who has made more feminist changes than anyone else. We have been asked to sacrifice our most important political asset.” But during a vote within the party, a majority of the members still chose to work with Díaz. On June 19, the parties must hand in the electoral lists with representatives for the polls. Whether Montero will eventually be on it is still unclear.
Signal from the people
Last Monday, Prime Minister Sánchez surprised everyone with early elections after a defeat in the local and regional elections on May 28. The right-wing conservative Partido Popular won the elections in many regions. Even regions that usually have a left-wing government had to make room for the right.
Prime Minister Sánchez considered this political turnaround a clear signal from the people and therefore wanted to submit his mandate to the will of the Spaniards. The elections were initially scheduled to take place in December.