• IU Politics does not find fit in Sumar: it demands Díaz "democratize" power as Podemos
  • Podemos Politics skips to Add and opens its own way to "negotiate with the PSOE" the investiture on the margin of Yolanda Díaz
  • Conflict Adding "makes invisible" Podemos in the Congress group and the 'purple' challenge Yolanda Díaz: "We will have a voice"

It is no longer one, but two. Podemos and IU, the two largest organizations that make up Sumar, have raised their voices against Yolanda Díaz's excessive control in decision-making and demand measures to "democratize" the governance of the coalition. Faced with these criticisms, Sumar defends itself and minimizes the discomfort of its partners: "We have always been making decisions in a consensual way, in a democratic way and so it will continue to be."

This has been pointed out by the spokesman of Sumar, Ernest Urtasun, in the usual press conference on Mondays, which has been marked by the complaints with which Izquierda Unida closed last week, when Alberto Garzón exposed to the Federal Coordinator of his organization the anger for the decisions taken "without dialogue" and in a "unilateral" way by Díaz.

That feeling of IU has great relevance because it is no longer only Podemos that complains, but the one that has been a strategic and faithful ally during the construction of Sumar and in contrast to the belligerent and frontist attitude that the purple party had adopted for more than half a year before the culmination of the electoral alliance.

Sumar dismisses its partners, in this case IU, and ensures that decisions have been taken under consensus and dialogue. "We will also expand our ability to make these decisions as we build Sumar," Urtasun said.

But the truth is that there is a before and after within the coalition since the deputy spokespersons were appointed in Congress. That it is no longer the position itself, but the ability that this appointment gives to have a signature with which to register parliamentary initiatives and participate in the meetings of the Board of Spokesmen. Podemos (five deputies) and IU (five) were left without any of the three deputy spokespersons, which went to the commons (five), Compromís (two) and Chunta Aragonesista (one). Instead, Sumar was assigned the presidency of the group (Yolanda Díaz), the main spokesperson (Marta Lois) and the general secretariat (Txema Guijarro).

Urtasun has expressed Sumar's "full respect" for the critical analysis presented by Garzón, as well as the concrete proposals contained therein to configure a "Broad Front" in which Movimiento Sumar (Díaz's new party) is one more organization and that the governance of that space is more "democratic", with mechanisms of coordination and representation of all parties for collective decision-making.

Urtasun has expressed the will to "find the best fit" in the future and has maintained that Sumar is developing in "permanent dialogue with everyone". The most important thing, he stressed, is that a "winning" project can be built. That is why he has assured that the formula of the Broad Front defended by IU and that drinks mainly from the experience of Uruguay does not have to be the one used in Spain, because there are many ways to do it. Thus, it has avoided opting for a specific formula and has left it as something to be decided in the future.

Movimiento Sumar, first, has to hold its constituent assembly as a party and equip itself with organs and leaders. It was expected to do so in autumn, but it will not be until after the investiture of Pedro Sánchez when it would be celebrated. That brings the deadlines to December at the earliest.

We can rummage with more criticism

After Urtasun, Podemos has also given its press conference to establish its position. And in this case he has again charged against Diaz's way of acting, saying that in Sumar "many unilateral decisions" are abused.

"There is a lack of spaces for consensual and democratic decision-making and that unilateral decisions have been abused a lot in the space of Sumar," said the co-spokesman of Podemos, Pablo Fernández, who has appeared with Isa Serra. In his opinion, "spaces for collective decision-making" are needed, which is something that for now "is not happening in Sumar."

As for the exercise of its political autonomy, Podemos has claimed to intervene this Tuesday in the investiture debate. For now, Sumar has not revealed who will speak, although it is assumed that Díaz would do so, as leader of the space. However, the purple party also wants to make itself visible at this time and take the floor.

In the same way, Podemos insists on a refrain that it has been repeating for many weeks: the purple party must have at least one ministry in the future coalition government and the person who occupies it must be chosen by the leadership of Ione Belarra. This nuance is important, because Podemos ignores the fact that Díaz can choose a minister with a purple card, saying that this is not worth it.

"I will be very clear and very forceful, the ministers of Podemos have to decide Podemos, it is something of which there is no doubt and we have it very very clear," Fernandez stressed.

  • Add
  • Can
  • IU
  • Alberto Garzon
  • Yolanda Diaz