Sumar and Podemos measure themselves before the next elections: Urtasun demands a commitment to govern and Montero defends that the bases vote

The Minister of Culture, Ernest Urtasun, transferred the pressure to Podemos this Monday in the midst of negotiations for the future of the alternative left. Irene Montero wants open primaries to choose who will lead a joint candidacy. Urtasun asks her for a prior step. Podemos must clarify if it wants to be part of a project willing to revalidate the coalition government before discussing how the candidate will be chosen.

"Here we are building a large political platform, with many political formations, to revalidate the progressive coalition government," the minister affirmed. His offer to the purples was explicit. "If Podemos now wants to participate in this effort, no one is left out here," he said at the press conference of the parties that make up the minority partner of the Executive.

The response comes on the same day that Montero defended her proposal in an interview published by 'El País'. The MEP and former Minister of Equality wants anyone to be able to run and also people outside the parties to vote. She explained that the rules would have to be agreed upon with the other organizations and resorted to a festive image to describe what she is looking for: primaries that awaken the left like 'Paquito el Chocolatero' when it starts playing at a party.

The primaries divide Sumar's partners

The order of the steps matters in this negotiation. Montero has put on the table a candidate and an open election method, while Movimiento Sumar, Izquierda Unida (IU), Más Madrid and the Comuns continue to work on their own brand and leadership. Urtasun wants to know first if Podemos shares the goal of governing again with the PSOE. Only then, he argues, would it make sense to agree on common primaries.

The positions are not the same within the Sumar space either. Internal sources consulted by 'ElConstitucional.es' indicated last week that the Comuns were open to exploring unity with Podemos, while IU maintained reservations due to previous confrontations and Más Madrid rejected sharing the ballot with Montero for Madrid. The open primaries proposal came when these organizations were still debating their own candidacy behind closed doors.

IU approved this Sunday its primary process to elect its electoral representatives before negotiating with other parties. This internal vote does not equate to accepting joint primaries like those proposed by Montero. Urtasun has defended that each formation follow its procedures and that the rules of an eventual shared candidacy be agreed upon by all.

It is also not clear who would lead the Sumar project. This newspaper reported that Urtasun had gathered support to be a candidate, although doubts later arose about his willingness to take the step. Asked today about his plans, the minister has assured that he will be "in the fight", without confirming that he will lead the list. He has promised that the name of the candidate and the new brand will be known soon.

The discussion goes beyond ballots and primaries. Urtasun speaks of revalidating the progressive coalition government, while Podemos maintains a very critical position towards the Executive during this legislature. Montero has again held it responsible today for the management of the migratory crisis in Ceuta and has demanded a profound change in European asylum policy. Her willingness to share a candidacy is expressed; the scope of a future agreement to govern remains unclear.

A possible early election leaves less room for negotiation

Conversations are advancing with an uncertain electoral calendar. Internal sources of Sumar consulted by 'ElConstitucional.es' place late February or early March 2027 among the scenarios that the space is considering if the attempt to approve the next Budgets fails. Pedro Sánchez has not called elections and retains the decision to dissolve the Cortes; a rejection of the accounts would not legally oblige him to do so either.

That possibility explains the rush to finalize names, candidates, and alliances. A divided alternative left could lose strength by converting its votes into seats, especially in provinces that elect few deputies. But bringing together acronyms without first resolving the program, leadership, and election method would also leave decisive issues for when the campaign is upon them.

The debate also reaches former allies of the 2023 coalition. Chunta Aragonesista wants to promote a broad candidacy in Aragon and has expressly mentioned IU and Podemos Aragón among the parties with which it could speak. Its president, Jorge Pueyo, has defended building the formula based on the current context, without taking for granted that the 23J list should be repeated.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Social Rights, Pablo Bustinduy, has expressed his conviction that the left will have a "solvent" candidacy and has repeated that "no one is superfluous". Urtasun has now placed the next move on Podemos and has said that his space will soon present both the brand and the person who will lead the candidacy.