The announcement of the candidacy of the Minister of Youth and Children, Sira Rego, to succeed Alberto Garzón at the head of Izquierda Unida unleashed this Wednesday the internal fight in the organization, which plans to hold its XIII Assembly on May 18 and 19 . After making public his intention to run first thing in the morning and in a hectic day in Congress, with one eye on the future of Catalan politics, the first criticism was immediate. A part of the leadership, which includes relevant voices from the PCE and the Andalusian federation, questioned that the announcement was made in the middle of the primaries to elect their candidate for the European elections and without prior internal consensus. The head of Organization and spokesperson for IU, Ismael González, defended on networks that the candidacy was presented “in compliance with what is established in the regulations and norms” of the assembly. In the background, there is a struggle for the weight of each of the families that make up the formation in the next Executive.
“Out of respect for your decision, I regret the renunciation of the agreement to have the best, most representative and most cohesive leadership to lead Izquierda Unida. For many months we have been working to achieve maximum unity around politics. And in primaries,” warned Amanda Meyer, IU co-spokesperson. This part of the leadership critical of Rego’s behavior stated on Wednesday that they saw it as “irresponsible” that in a context of primaries for the European elections – which end on Sunday – there was an attempt to generate “confusion” by now presenting the candidacy for coordination in the Assembly. The deadline for any militant to present a candidacy for the coordination of the party—it is necessary to obtain the endorsement of 2% of the census—ends on April 29. There are three candidates to be the head of the IU list on the Sumar list for the June elections: the MEP Manu Pineda, the trade unionist and IU Madrid activist Marga Sainz, and the IU spokesperson in the Parliament of La Rioja, Henar Moreno. Of all of them, the strongest is that of Pineda, a member of the PCE leadership and who has the support of his training for the position, but not of Rego herself, who has not officially supported anyone.
The different currents of Izquierda Unida have been negotiating for months both the political document – on which there has already been an agreement and which Rego herself endorses in the video in which she promotes her candidacy – and a consensus list that can integrate all of them. the sensitivities. In addition to guaranteeing territorial representation, the PCE, Republican Left (IR), Unitary Candidacy of Workers (CUT), the Union of Communist Youth of Spain (UJCE), the Common Current and La Izquierda Necesaria were represented in Garzón’s leadership. . Sources from the party leadership who question the moment chosen for the announcement assure that until now no one doubted that Rego would be the only proposal, but after having applied without warning, they do not close the door to presenting an alternative if this drift continues.
For now, the names of the rest of the members who will accompany Rego in the candidacy are unknown and although their line is continuous with that of Garzón, different sources recognize that the team is not closed. According to them, the PCE and some federations wanted to obtain an agreement on the matter and agree on their representation in the future direction, before giving the final yes to Rego as coordinator. “We have time to agree on absolutely everything. We are going to debate, to reach a consensus, to talk about politics. We have a magnificent document and there is plenty of time to have a unitary process that represents all of us. That, of course, is my vocation,” the candidate responded to criticism in the halls of Congress. Rego’s, MEP between 2019 and 2023, is the first candidacy presented and her election would mean the promotion of a woman to the position for the first time.
Among the voices that expressed their discomfort throughout the day, that of the person in charge of the training program, Carlos Sánchez Mato, also stands out, calling for consensus. “The best thing for the working class and for our organization will be for a great agreement to be articulated that includes the diversity of Izquierda Unida. As a humble militant I expect cooperation between different sensitivities and not competition. We need you all,” reads the message, with which a part of the leadership agrees, pointing out that in the face of the construction process of Sumar, a cohesive United Left is needed that is capable of conveying “broad consensus ”. The confrontation also occurs just 10 days before the first Assembly of Yolanda Díaz’s formation and with the future role and weight of IU on the new platform still to be determined.
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