A new direction for Izquierda Unida
Izquierda Unida concluded on Tuesday the period for presenting candidates to lead the political formation. Now he is heading towards a federal assembly in which four candidates seeking to succeed former minister Alberto Garzón will face each other. Despite the failed attempts to reach a consensus between the different sectors, the candidacies remain firm.
The candidates to lead the United Left
The four pre-candidacies are headed by prominent members of the party. The Minister of Youth and Children, Sira Rego, the former leader of the Andalusian federation Antonio Maíllo, the autonomous coordinator of Madrid, Álvaro Aguilera, and the representative of the sector critical of the current leadership, José Antonio García Rubio, are the candidates seeking to lead United Left.
A frustrated attempt at consensus
Before the deadline for submitting candidatures, Minister Sira Rego called a meeting to try to reach a consensus. She proposed extending the deadline for another 48 hours and negotiating a unity list that included representatives of the four pre-candidacies. However, the Izquierda Unida executive decided not to extend the deadline due to legal doubts raised by the party’s legal advisors.
Differences and tensions between sectors
The lack of consensus shows the current differences between Sira Rego and Antonio Maíllo, whose sectors were united in the current direction but have fractured after months of negotiation. Sira Rego’s team has criticized Maíllo’s candidacy for blocking the extension of the deadline and for refusing to agree on a unity list. For its part, Maíllo’s candidacy has argued that it did not oppose the extension of the deadline and that Rego did not present any specific consensus proposal.
The importance of the federal assembly
The federal assembly of Izquierda Unida is crucial to defining the party’s political direction. The candidates Álvaro Aguilera and José Antonio García Rubio have highlighted the need to clarify the political line of the organization. Aguilera has argued that the plurality of candidates can strengthen the party, while García Rubio has expressed his intention to turn the organization around and reevaluate the alliance policy.
Relationship with Sumar and the European elections
Izquierda Unida faces this assembly after tensions with Sumar in the negotiation of the candidacy for the European elections. While Álvaro Aguilera, José Antonio García Rubio and prominent members of Sira Rego’s list defend breaking with Sumar, Antonio Maíllo’s candidacy advocates confluence. The future of the relationship between Izquierda Unida and Sumar will be debated in the congressional assembly to be held in May.
In summary, Izquierda Unida is at a crucial moment in defining its leadership. The four pre-candidacies represent different visions and proposals for the future of the party. The federal assembly will be the stage in which the political directions of Izquierda Unida will be debated and decided.
