The United We Can brand could disappear from the ballots in the regional and municipal elections next May.

The two main allies, Podemos and Izquierda Unida, have opened an internal debate about the option of burying the name of the coalition that has united them since 2016 and changing it for another formula that has not yet been defined but that would seek to be in tune with the

Yolanda Díaz

's goal

of giving up the initials of UP.

This possibility of discarding the United We Can brand was put on the table at a meeting between the leadership of both parties that took place at the end of June, as reported by

Público

on Wednesday and confirmed by EL MUNDO sources from both parties.

That conclave was held just a week after the Andalusian elections, which culminated in a severe setback at the polls for two months of tensions between the partners due to the configuration of the candidacy called Por Andalucía.

Those clashes and the way in which events were precipitated, such as the in extremis closure of the coalition without Podemos arriving on time to register, keep relations strained.

On the first occasion in which they sat down to address the situation after those elections, Podemos and IU endorsed the will to present joint candidacies for the municipal regional elections.

That has not changed by the national leadership of both parties.

However, the option of burying the United We Can brand and looking for an alternative was proposed as a great novelty.

That it could well be to recover the names of the two parties in the candidacies, although, in any case, there are still no concrete proposals.

According to the sources consulted, it was IU who opened the debate and who is the most in favor of looking for another name.

While Podemos would prefer to continue as before, although it is not going to hold on to the current brand either because the most important thing for those of

Ione Belarra

is to reach a political agreement with the IU to go to the elections together in the largest possible number of autonomous communities and municipalities.

Several sources consulted emphasize that the decision to abandon the United We Can brand has not been taken, much less, and that it is something that has not been agreed upon or signed, because not even the forum where the debate was opened is where it will be decided, because that is something that will be the responsibility of the bodies of the two organizations.

IU sources disassociate the issue of the change of brand from the Andalusian elections and point out that this has been understood since Yolanda Díaz raised her "listening process" and opted to overcome those acronyms for the general elections in the face of the evident wear of the brand.

Other IU sources emphasize that the use of United We Can is not totally ruled out, and that this will depend on each negotiation in the autonomies and municipalities.

What are the spaces where agreements must be forged.

The directions want to continue hand in hand but it will be the IU assemblies that say where.

Well, Podemos can impose decisions, but in the IU the last word is with the territories and municipalities.

Conforms to The Trust Project criteria

Know more

  • UI

  • Can

  • United We Can

  • Yolanda Diaz

  • Through Andalusia

  • Regional Elections

  • Municipal elections