Sumar, IU, Comuns and Más Madrid call to “resist” and redouble pressure for housing

The main parties of the political space to the left of the PSOE staged this Saturday in Barcelona an image of unity to defend the continuity of the legislature and strengthen the Government's social agenda. Comuns, IU, Sumar and Más Madrid participated in the event ‘A step forward’, where they called to “resist” against the right's offensive and accelerate policies such as housing or the safeguarding of public services.

One of the main messages of the meeting was the need to promote new measures regarding housing. Minister Pablo Bustinduy announced that the Government will bring the housing decree and the extension of rents back to Congress “as soon as possible”, insisting that labor and social advances cannot end up converted “into private benefit of a rentier machinery”.

The Minister of Health, Mónica García, also focused on the housing crisis and assured that they will not stop “until the rentiers are kicked out”. The leader of Más Madrid advocated combining regulation and construction of public housing, eliminating illegal tourist apartments, and increasing tax pressure on investment funds linked to the real estate market.

During her speech, García also again attacked Isabel Díaz Ayuso for her management of the hantavirus crisis and assured that it was “an advantage” that the Madrid president was in Mexico during those days. The minister vindicated the importance of public services and defended facing crises “without leaving anyone behind”.

For his part, the Minister of Culture, Ernest Urtasun, vindicated the role of Sumar and its allies as the “engine” of the coalition Government and warned that they will be vigilant against possible agreements between PP and Vox, especially in Andalusia. In his opinion, the progressive bloc must prevent Spain “from falling into the hands of Donald Trump” and the far right.

The federal coordinator of IU, Antonio Maíllo, and the leader of Sumar, Lara Hernández, appealed to the resistance of the left against what they consider a political and media “demolition operation”. Both defended expanding alliances with other progressive forces and claimed that the space to the left of the PSOE remains key to maintaining and expanding social rights in the coming years.