The information that Más Madrid questioned and described as false last October 13 and that ‘ElConstitucional.es’ exclusively published, has ended up being publicly confirmed by one of its main leaders. Emilio Delgado, regional deputy of the party and head of the Broad Front list for Madrid, recognized this Friday in an interview on TVE that there is an offer to Irene Montero. "She is offered positions 2 and 3 on the list," Delgado confirmed, thus ratifying the information from this newspaper.
On October 13, this newspaper reported, through sources familiar with the conversations, that the Broad Front had put on the table the possibility of reserving the number two spot on the Madrid list for the former Minister of Equality, immediately after Emilio Delgado. However, after the publication of that information, sources from Más Madrid accused this media of spreading false information.
Now, just hours before the deadline to register electoral coalitions expires, Delgado himself has publicly confirmed that this possibility is part of the offers made to try to incorporate Podemos into the project.
The contradiction is especially significant because it does not come from a leader outside the party, but from the one who heads the Madrid candidacy of the Broad Front and represents Más Madrid in the regional Assembly.
Emilio Delgado confirms the offer that Más Madrid questioned
During his interview on TVE, Emilio Delgado recognized that Irene Montero could occupy the second or third position on the Madrid candidacy, but ruled out that she would head the list. "I believe it is a generous offer and that it would guarantee that they would have representation in the Congress of Deputies," said the Más Madrid leader.
Furthermore, Delgado insisted that there is still room to reach an understanding before the close of the electoral deadline: "There are a few hours left and it is at their disposal [...] We are on time."
These statements support the core of the information published by ElConstitucional.es on October 13: the existence of a proposal to place Irene Montero in a prominent position on the Madrid candidacy, behind Emilio Delgado.
There is, however, a nuance that needs to be clarified. While the information advanced by this newspaper specifically pointed to the number two position, Delgado has publicly expanded the possibilities to the second or third spot. In both cases, the approach contemplates incorporating Montero into the list without displacing Delgado from the first position.
The confirmation comes after sources from Más Madrid questioned this media's information. The party will now have to explain why it denied a proposal whose existence its own candidate has ended up acknowledging.
An exclusive published on October 13 that anticipated the movements of the Broad Front
The information advanced by ElConstitucional.es was not limited to pointing out the possibility of incorporating Irene Montero into the lists. It also explained that the conversations between the Broad Front and Podemos sought to unblock the difficulties in building a joint candidacy for the general elections.
According to sources consulted then by this newspaper, the proposal meant a modification of the distribution of positions that Más Madrid had previously made public. In that distribution, Emilio Delgado appeared as head of the list for Madrid and the Minister of Health, Mónica García, occupied the second position. The possibility of reserving that position for Irene Montero therefore implied reviewing the initially announced scheme to facilitate a possible agreement with Podemos.
This newspaper also reported that Madrid and Barcelona constituted two of the main obstacles to electoral unity, while in other territories there were greater expectations of understanding.
Three days later, Delgado's statements confirm that the negotiation over Irene Montero's position in Madrid was a real possibility, despite the disqualifications the information received when it was published.
Más Madrid, facing its own contradictions hours before the electoral deadline
The controversy occurs at a particularly delicate moment for the political space to the left of the PSOE. The deadline to register coalitions for 29N concludes this Friday, October 16, at 11:59 PM, and the organizations still have not closed a general agreement that allows them to run jointly.
Although Emilio Delgado has reiterated his willingness to incorporate Podemos, sources from the Broad Front acknowledge that, despite the contacts maintained during the last few days, the parties have not formally sat down to negotiate. This circumstance highlights the distance between public offers and effective progress towards a unitary candidacy.
For its part, Podemos has repeatedly refused to join the coalition formed by Movimiento Sumar, Izquierda Unida, Más Madrid, and the Comunes, although contacts between the different organizations have continued.
In this scenario, Más Madrid's communication management adds controversy to negotiations already marked by difficulties. The party questioned a journalistic report about an electoral offer that its own candidate now publicly acknowledges. The question is no longer solely whether Irene Montero will agree to run on a list headed by Emilio Delgado, but also why Más Madrid sources discredited information that anticipated an existing proposal.
