The capacity of some political leaders to “ride contradictions” (Pablo Iglesias dixit) knows no limits: Yolanda Díaz, second vice-president of the Government, Minister of Labour, the designated successor of Pablo Iglesias at the head of the Spanish extreme left, presents tomorrow Sumar, her new political platform. And for the presentation she asks the leaders of the political left – including her colleagues in Unidas Podemos – not to attend the event. “They are not protagonists,” he says.
Her team insists that this is not exactly the case, and that all the formations were invited; Podemos, Izquierda Unida, Comunes, Más País, Más Madrid and Compromís. But yesterday the Minister for Social Rights and leader of Podemos, Ione Belarra, said on TVE that they supported the Second Vice-President in the whole process. That said, they would not be at the presentation tomorrow because she had asked them not to go.
It was a confusion, we have invited all the parties,” say Díaz’s entourage, “but as it is a process with civil society, representatives of civil society have to be in the front rows, and it was agreed that the parties would come, but not the general secretaries”. Yolanda Díaz in the spotlight.
So at the presentation of SUMAR there will be no Ione Belarra, Irene Montero or Pablo Echenique… Sources in the party suggest there will be second-tier officials and some members of parliament in the audience. Izquierda Unida confirmed to this newspaper that its spokesperson, Sira Rego, the leader of the PCE and Secretary of State for the 2030 Agenda, Enrique Santiago, and the Catalan general coordinator of IU, Rosa Pérez, will be present. Alberto Garzón, minister and leader of IU, will not participate. He is committed to Díaz’s project. Ada Colau, leader of the Comunes, said she will leave space but will send representatives.
Íñigo Errejón, of Más País, said the same: “It is an event that belongs to civil society, but we will be well represented”. Errejón is increasingly close to Díaz, as is Mónica Oltra’s Compromís.
Sumar is the platform that will be the vehicle for her project for the 2023 general elections. In this way, she aims to overcome the bases of Unidas Podemos, an acronym that has been badly eroded, and to achieve a new coalition government with the PSOE.
