Podemos transfers the pressure to Yolanda Díaz to close a pact with Sumar

The Vice President and Minister of Labor, Yolanda Díaz, this Wednesday in Madrid.Samuel Sánchez

The future of the space to the left of the PSOE is still up in the air. Eight days before the deadline for the registration of coalitions that will compete in the general elections of July 23, the ministers clear their agendas and the Sumar team shields especially delicate negotiations. The fit of the puzzle is complex. Yolanda Díaz must build in record time an agreement that reconciles the interests of around fifteen parties whose understanding is essential, at least, to go out to fight. Nothing is done and every day that passes, the actors are putting their demands in black on white. The last to do so more or less publicly was Compromís, which late on Tuesday asked to lead a ballot in the Valencian Community for which party sources also demand their own brand and, a priori, without a great presence of Podemos. The conditions have outraged this Wednesday to the dome of the formation. Former Vice President Pablo Iglesias, a figure still with enormous influence over the executive, transferred the pressure to Díaz on TV3: "The responsibility that the leader has is 90%."

Surrounded by journalists, in her first public appearance since the 28-M elections, the leader of Sumar avoided reporting on Wednesday on the course of the negotiations. "There are many Democrats and progressive people today who are discouraged and concerned in our country. I send you a clear message of hope and confidence. I take up the challenge and we go out to win the country. Spain is waiting for us," Diaz urged upon his arrival at the presentation of a book in the center of Madrid.

The contacts resumed on Monday and different organizations have been showing adhesions since then. It was done by Izquierda Unida, Más Madrid, Más País, or the ecologists Verdes Equo and Alianza Verde. The last to speak has been the party whose candidacy to the Cortes led on Sunday the former deputy Joan Baldoví. "Compromís existed before 15-M, we are a reality, we have militancy, structure and the endorsement of 350,000 votes." These are the arguments that the negotiating team of the formation wields before the representatives of Sumar – Amparo Piquer and Iván Castañón for Compromís and Josep Vendrell and Rodrigo Amírola for Díaz – with whom yesterday afternoon he held a first meeting. The coalition held a meeting of the leadership on Tuesday in which some minimums were exposed: the Compromís brand must appear on the ballots and, in no case, will it be a confluence or the Valencian brand of Sumar for the general elections of 23-J. The formation lost 100,000 votes in the regional elections of 28-M, but maintain much more support than Podemos, which compared to 2019 lost 60% of the votes on Sunday and was left out of the Cortes and the City Council of Valencia. "That implies the candidacies," admit sources of the organization that, in principle, will demand that the heads of the list of the three provinces are from Compromís, although they do not rule out that, in the event that there is a consensus name, Podemos can head some of them.

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Sumar is constituted as a party to try to bring together all the forces to the left of the PSOE

From Sumar they refuse to offer details about the negotiations, but call for "tranquility" and call to "continue working." The talks take place in different formats and the intention, they say, is to reach an agreement with all parties. The demands of Compromís, however, have stirred up Podemos. Some voices warned already before 28-M that his party has a project and an electoral space of "state" scope and that the results of regional and municipal elections are not extrapolated to the general elections. This Wednesday, it was the former secretary general, Pablo Iglesias, who gave voice to the discomfort. "There is a very complex situation. As there is no time for primaries, it will not be the citizen protagonism and listening who defines how an exciting space is built, but we are already seeing how Compromís comes out. And the other parties are going to say, 'Me too.' This should make everyone reflect on how important it would have been to have things ready and prepared beforehand. From now on everyone has to make an effort," Iglesias criticized, pointing to the slowness of the process led by Díaz.

For the former vice president, however, "there is no alternative" to unity at this time. "If there is no agreement, people run at us. It's a huge pressure for Yolanda," he added. Iglesias emphasized this issue, noting that "not achieving it would be a failure" fundamentally of the head of Labor "and her party." "The responsibility that the leader has is 90%. The rest of the actors have to lend a shoulder. Podemos is a condition of possibility that this goes well, but it is evident who has the weight and who is receiving the demands right now, "he insisted.

From the formation led by Minister Belarra they affect the importance of advancing in the negotiations and warn that the next 24 hours are key to start closing details. The deadlines are shortened and the longer the process is delayed, the more the possibilities of understanding are distant, they transfer.

Also Más Madrid wants to assert the support garnered in the Community of Madrid on Sunday, no less than 18.35% of the vote. "We have had very good results," recalled in RNE the leader of the opposition in the regional Assembly, Monica Garcia. "We are going to contribute to the progressive space of Sumar with the generosity and capacity of results that endorse our talent, experience and way of doing politics. We are not going to go with red lines," said the deputy. Sources of the formation deny that their intention is to veto the presence of Podemos in the lists for Madrid. But everyone jealously guards the details. There is little more than a week left to overcome the abyss.

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