MADRID – Several political parties have announced that they will jointly participate in the general elections on July 23. Podemos and Sumar have signed an agreement to enter the elections together.
They do this together with other parties such as Izquierda Unida, Catalunya En Comú, Más Madrid, Más País, Compromís, Xunta Aragonesiste, Més per Mallorca, Més per Menorca, Verdes Equo, Alianza Verde, Batzarre, Proyecto Drago, Izquierda Asturiana and Iniciativa del Pueblo Andaluz.
Historic agreement
This coalition, according to Sumar, the broadest and most diverse agreement in Spain’s democratic history between progressive and green forces, was created after intense negotiations between the various parties. The coalition was presented to the Junta Electoral Central after the signing of the agreement.
Podemos candidates
In the coalition, Podemos will be represented by, among others, Ione Belarra, who will rank fifth in Madrid, and Lilith Verstrynge, who will rank fourth in Barcelona. In other provinces, Podemos candidates will lead the lists, such as Roberto Uriarte (Álava), Martina Velarde (Granada), Pilar Garrido (Guipúzcoa), Noemí Santana (Las Palmas), Javier Sánchez Serna (Murcia) and Idoia Villanueva (Navarra) .
Irene Montero
There has been some controversy over whether to include Irene Montero, the Minister of Equality, on the list of candidates. Podemos has stressed that they will not accept an agreement that excludes Montero. However, Sumar has not yet made an official comment on this matter. Earlier, according to La Vanguardia, Sumar indicated that he did not want to be associated with Irene Montero after the chaos surrounding the law ‘solo si es si’. The socialists see Montero as a drag on the future viability of the coalition government.
Also read: Clashes between coalition parties in Spain over the ‘Solo si es si’-law
‘Enthusiastic, feminist and winning project’
The leader of Sumar, Yolanda Díaz, expressed her gratitude to all political parties involved in the negotiations and committed to making this agreement possible. She emphasized that this agreement is the beginning of an enthusiastic, feminist and winning project.
Association of progressive and green forces
In addition to Podemos and Sumar, other political parties such as Izquierda Unida, Compromís, Más Madrid and Drago Canarias have also announced their participation in the coalition. This cooperation aims to unite the progressive and green forces and ensure strong representation in parliament.
Campaign started
With the registration of this coalition, the general election campaign has officially started. The political parties will campaign and present their positions to voters in the coming weeks. The elections on July 23 will determine the future of Spain and will help determine which parties will form the government.
Poll: The left still has a chance
According to a study by the 40dB Institute for EL PAÍS and Cadena SER, the People’s Party (PP) would win the general election on July 23 in either the scenario of left unity with Sumar or of fragmentation without Sumar. However, the PP would not be able to rule if Yolanda Díaz manages to join Podemos with Sumar. If Sumar and Podemos ruled separately, the PP and Vox would have a majority, while in case of a joint run, the left wing would have a chance to form a government.
Left unity would displace Vox
The poll also shows that the right is more mobilized than the left. One of the main objectives of the early elections is therefore to combat the despondency of left-wing voters after the local and regional elections. The research also indicates that the PP would gain more votes in case of left-wing fragmentation, while Sumar and Podemos would displace Vox as the third political force in parliament in case of unity.
