IU Madrid plans to run in the European elections with its acronym and calls for Sumar to be redesigned | Madrid | Spain

Madrid’s Izquierda Unida federation prioritizes building a Sumar-style electoral alliance for June’s European elections, but has been open to advocating within the organization that the party stands alone due to its disagreements with the functioning of Yolanda Díaz’s platform since the last general elections. This position, contained in a document approved by the regional coordinator at the end of 2023 and sent to all Madrid militancy, to which EL PAÍS had access, will now be transferred to the national level.

The approach, which comes as Izquierda Unida prepares for the General Assembly called to elect its next federal coordinator after the departure of Alberto Garzón, multiplies the criticisms against Sumar that Podemos has already expressed, although it represents, for now, only the federation . from Madrid. In fact, the IU is in government of the nation through Sumar, it plans to present itself with this platform in the Galician regional elections and the state organization recalls that the decision on the European ones does not correspond to any federation.

“The question is simple, the competition to decide how the IU will go in the European elections lies with its federal management bodies, not with some federation”, summarize sources from the party’s federal leadership. However, IU Madrid clearly defends its approach in an internal document.

“[Las europeas] They are an opportunity to cover the void left by Sumar on his left and reawaken motivation in our ranks and in his political environment,” we read in the documentation sent to IU Madrid. “Given the green proposal and a reformable Europe to which Sumar is linked, (…) our proposal must unequivocally support the GUE [Grupo de la Izquierda en el Parlamento Europeo]while currently as a parliamentary group it represents a global and non-reformist questioning of the EU”, he continues.

“It makes no sense that Izquierda Unida assumes on principle that it is not an independent and visible electoral agent. Our proposal is to strengthen the UI as (…) an independent electoral body,” he underlines. “Izquierda Unida should not exclude or be afraid of appearing alone in this process if we are not able to consolidate Plan A.” [una convergencia de las izquierdas al estilo Sumar] and reach a broad agreement for these elections”, it is underlined.

And he concludes: “In conclusion, we do not propose to close our policy of confluence and electoral alliances now, our objective is to obtain the broadest possible candidacy, but not out of weakness but out of conviction in the proposal and in the nature of the proposed processes. “

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The reasons for the disagreement with Sumar are multiple and concern both the past (the functioning of the platform since the last general elections) and the future (the difficulties that IU will have in the 2027 municipal and regional elections if it constantly dilutes its initials with others).

Added to this is a point of friction linked exclusively to the next European elections. United Left, which, in alliance with Podemos, obtained two MEPs in 2019, including the current Minister of Youth and Children, Sira Rego, feels identified with the Group of the European Left. Sumar gravitates towards Los Verdes, who are seen as “central” at IU Madrid.

“At an organizational level [en Sumar] So far there has been no intention to democratize the coalition or to encourage dynamics of participation between organizations at a local level, betting on the creation of a new party, thus contradicting the initial idea of ​​a movement of movements”, he explained. reads in the article IU Madrid Document. “In the political sphere, its nature is closely linked to participation in government, centered on a personalist line which is not attenuated, but rather intensified,” it adds.

“IU Madrid is unequivocally committed to building a Broad Front, in total harmony with what has been approved by the federal bodies,” he continues. “However, based on historical experience, we must also have a Plan B if, as has happened so far, no other convergence actor shares this objective or is unwilling to develop it.”

Overall, the differences mean that the Madrid federation is not the only one among those that make up the IU to see complications in the alliance with Díaz’s platform, according to a source close to the organization.

“The reflection touches many other territories, it is a concern that concerns us all without exception, because Sumar is establishing itself as a traditional party, and not as the broad left front in which the IU, or Compromís, has approved to participate, the Municipality or Podemos”, assures this interlocutor. “The European elections are not like other elections, in which you put governments at stake, nor are there constituencies that complicate your life,” he recalls. «It is a single constituency, which penalizes disunity much less. No vote is lost. And they are very ideological elections,” he adds. Although he underlines: “Our starting point is not to go separately, but we must not be afraid of it.”

“For us, the ideal is for Sumar to function as a convergence space, but from the way it is formed and functions, we don’t see that it is ideal,” summarizes another source familiar with the organization’s internal debates . “We do not rule out that the IU will run alone in the European elections, as the current leadership of Sumar wants to steer the candidacy in a way that suits the European Greens, when our space is the left (La Sinistra).”

The European Championships in June are six months away. First the Galician regional elections will be voted on, and perhaps the Basque ones, recalls Izquierda Unida. With this calendar ahead, regional calls take priority, according to a left-wing party strategist, who also refers to the difficulty of addressing the debate on the IU’s candidacy in the European elections while the party is also the protagonist of the election of a new federal coordinator. But the time will come, and IU Madrid is stating its position: the ideal is a Sumar-style alliance, but if the right circumstances do not arise, the best thing is to present itself with the acronym IU.

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2024-01-03 08:01:10
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