Andalusia, the first great challenge for Yolanda Díaz

Alberto Garzón and Yolanda Díaz, at the fair in Seville. PACO PUENTES (EL PAÍS)

Andalusia, the most populous community in Spain, has a singular relevance from the political, social and economic point of view, and in that territory, on June 19, one of the electoral battles that can mark the next political cycle and the relationship of forces between right and left.

The second vice president of the government, Minister of Labor and main institutional position of United We Can, Yolanda Díaz, has been deeply involved, for months, to achieve a unitary candidacy in the space made up of the different formations to the left of the PSOE.

And, although the result is still legally up in the air —the coalition was presented after the registration deadline—, the political agreement has been achieved.

“The tension has been maximum and sustained, until the last moment;

it was not only Andalusia, but the entire national project”.

This appreciation of sources involved in the negotiation affects the enormous difficulties that have been solved to reach the port of the unity of the environment of Yolanda Díaz with Podemos —once achieved, also with a lot of effort, with Más País—.

The interlocutors consulted indicate that Díaz remained firm until the end to ensure that the head of the list of the new brand, Por Andalucía, was the IU candidate, Inmaculada Nieto, and not the Podemos candidate, Juan Antonio Delgado.

When the impossible was done at the stroke of midnight, Podemos did not arrive in time to register their signature along with that of the other parties that will go in coalition.

It is a setback, but the makers of the agreement remain with the milestone of having woven a joint candidacy to the left of the PSOE (with the exception of the party led by Teresa Rodríguez, Adelante Andalucía, which will go alone).

After achieving the truly complicated thing, the political agreement, which was on the verge of breaking down several times, there is now a will that the decision of the Electoral Board, whatever it may be, does not undo what was agreed with Podemos.

The agreements of representation, distribution of positions and times of interventions in the future parliamentary group will be respected, and what is necessary will also be done to correct the economic damages for Podemos if finally its logo cannot go on the ballots, according to sources of the negotiation.

Although it is still hoped that legal recourse can resolve the situation, alternative solutions are being studied just in case.

United Left, More Country, Equo, Green Alliance, Andalusian People's Initiative and Podemos will go together, with whatever formula is possible, to the elections in Andalusia on June 19.

Inmaculada Nieto or Juan Antonio Delgado, from IU and Podemos, respectively.

In their names was the fight.

The various sources consulted, both nationally and regionally, agree in citing Pablo Iglesias and Yolanda Díaz as the main actors in the negotiation, although they have not entered into communication with each other at any time.

The parties in contention have important people in Andalusia as valid interlocutors but from IU and in Yolanda Díaz's environment it is ensured that the confrontation has been national and with an eye on marking positions for the municipal, regional and general elections of 2023.

After 19-J, Yolanda Díaz will formally begin the "listening process" with which she intends to set up a new broad-spectrum political platform and decide from it whether she will run as a candidate in future general elections.

This initiative will be tested first in Andalusia, although the actors on this occasion have only been the political parties;

Díaz's idea is that in the new platform, for future calls, progressive social groups and organizations, not necessarily linked to parties, also participate.

In Andalusia, the second vice president had no doubts.

Izquierda Unida, that we cannot nor More Country, has a relevant representation in this community through the city councils.

Both IU and the Andalusian Communist Party (PCA) maintain an estimable territorial presence.

In addition, the IU regional deputy Inmaculada Nieto has political recognition on the left and on the right.

With these reasons, Yolanda Díaz became strong in her defense of Nieto against the national deputy Juan Antonio Delgado, from Podemos.

The second vice president has respect and affection for him, says Diaz's entourage, but considers that it was not up to Podemos to hold the highest leadership.

The problem was not so much Andalusian as it was one of national interpretation, the sources consulted insist:

It will not be easy, they foresee in the environment of Galician politics.

The distance between Podemos and Más País, or rather, between the leaders of one formation and the other, is abysmal.

Pablo Iglesias and Íñigo Errejón were colleagues and friends, and their relationship broke out without a chance for reconciliation.

This rupture has to be overcome in their organizations, community by community, as one of the construction elements of the Díaz project.

And the first place to check if that has been achieved will be on 19-J in Andalusia.

Exclusive content for subscribers

read without limits

subscribe

I'm already a subscriber