The Frente Amplio arrives at this Thursday's negotiations with Ada Colau as the favorite to lead the candidacy for the general elections on November 29. The former mayor of Barcelona has said for the first time with such clarity that she is willing to take the step. She wants, however, an alliance that also incorporates Podemos and the rest of the alternative left forces. While her name gains support, conversations remain open about primaries and the distribution of lists.
ElConstitucional.es already reported on Tuesday, October 6 that the parties expected to have the leadership decided by this Friday, a forecast maintained by sources from the space consulted by this newspaper. The possibility of Colau being the candidate has gained strength since then, although no agreement can yet be considered closed. The meeting scheduled for today must also address the conditions under which each organization wants to go to the polls.
Colau herself explained this morning on 'La hora de La 1', on TVE, the extent of her willingness. "If we are all in, I will be too," she stated. She called for a single ballot to the left of the PSOE and expressly mentioned Podemos, as well as other forces such as Compromís, Chunta Aragonesista, and Més. She also confirmed that in recent days she has spoken with Irene Montero, Mónica García, and Antonio Maíllo. This round of conversations continues the contacts between Colau and Montero that this media already reported on.
Housing occupies a central place in the former mayor's proposal, who entered politics from the fight against evictions. Colau spoke today with "pain and rage" about the death of Maricarmen Abascal and called for sustaining the mobilizations for which she fought. The issue will be one of the axes of a campaign marked by the Sol encampment, the rejection of housing decrees in Congress, and the general strike called for November 11.
Madrid concentrates the fight for the lists
Más Madrid proposed on Wednesday that Colau lead the Frente Amplio as number one for Barcelona. At the same time, it defended that Mónica García head the Madrid list and that Emilio Delgado, Tesh Sidi, and Eduardo Fernández Rubiño occupy other prominent positions. This newspaper reported yesterday that Más Madrid's demand makes it difficult to reserve a place with a chance of a seat for Irene Montero if Podemos ends up joining the agreement.
Colau has avoided assuming as definitive the proposal to run for Barcelona. She considers it secondary to decide now in which province each leader will go and asks that all forces have a role. The Comuns have also warned that the negotiation will remain open until a global pact is reached. The discussion has concrete consequences: if Colau occupies a starting position in Madrid, there will be one less for the rest of the parties; if she runs for Barcelona, the distribution will narrow there.
Izquierda Unida (IU) has welcomed her possible candidacy. Its federal coordinator, Antonio Maíllo, has called her a "magnificent candidate", although he demands that names and lists be agreed upon by all. IU wants Podemos to participate and demands a project with territorial weight. Movimiento Sumar, for its part, insists on negotiating with discretion. The candidacy needs to bring together sensibilities that share the goal of running together, but that defend their own spaces in the provinces where they have greater implantation.
Podemos maintains primaries and Rufián appears
Irene Montero has today again set Podemos' public position. The MEP has avoided commenting on Colau and maintains that "the only way" to reach an agreement is through open primaries, called by her party for October 14 and 15. "Podemos will be on the list that comes out of those primaries," she declared on TVE. Purple sources already summarized their position to ElConstitucional.es in one word: "Primaries." Among the formulas explored is negotiating a joint list and then submitting the agreement to a vote.
In the midst of these contacts, Gabriel Rufián, spokesperson for Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC) in Congress, has reappeared. The deputy has shared on X a publication by Montero that calls for an event this Saturday, at 11:30 a.m., in Getafe under the slogan "Peace, home and work". Rufián remains silent about his possible electoral role. His repost shows public support for the call, but does not announce that he will participate in it nor confirm an alliance. El Salto has reported today on contacts between him and Podemos, without a political formula having been concretized.
The Broad Front formations want to decide on their candidate's name this Friday. Afterwards, the lists and the incorporation of Podemos will remain pending. The deadline to communicate electoral coalitions ends on October 16, one day after the primaries scheduled by the purples. That week's margin will decide if Colau's aspiration to unite all alternative left-wing parties fits on a single ballot.
