Goodbye to Yolanda Díaz: she will not be a candidate in the elections again

MadridIt was an open secret, and all that was missing was a date: this Wednesday, right after participating in the parliamentary question time for the Spanish government, was the day Yolanda Díaz chose to announce that she will not be a candidate in the general elections again. She will remain as Second Vice President of the Spanish government and Minister of Labor, but will no longer have a leading role in a national left-wing coalition, which has only now begun to show the results of months of negotiations. In a letter published on her social media, Díaz emphasizes that "the political space that Sumar created remains strong" and also highlights "ambitious" proposals. like the one Gabriel Rufián defends to broaden this space to include left-wing nationalist and pro-independence parties. Before making the letter public, Díaz had already announced her decision.

"I always had many reservations about the idea of ​​being a candidate. Politics is tough, especially for women, but I don't regret taking the step. I look back and I'm proud of everything we've achieved collectively, always working to improve people's lives," she wrote. With her at the helm, Sumar won 31 seats in the 2023 elections, four fewer than Unidas Podemos won in 2019 with Pablo Iglesias at the helm. Díaz was, in fact, Iglesias's chosen successor once he left national politics, a decision she later said she regretted.

What a change of leadership? While they look for ways to form the new electoral coalition The coalition, which will initially include Sumar, Comunes, Más Madrid, and IU, though they hope to convince other parties to the left of the PSOE—Podemos being the most reluctant to join—will also have to find someone to lead it. One of those who could step up is the former mayor of Barcelona, ​​Ada Colau, who has already withdrawn her candidacy for mayor of the Catalan capital and now chairs the Sentit Comú Foundation, the Comunes' think tank. "Now is not the time to talk about names," said the spokesperson for the Comunes in Madrid, Aina Vidal, who denied that Díaz was an "obstacle" to the future left-wing coalition and praised Díaz's work, especially in labor matters. The PSOE spokesperson in Congress, Patxi López, echoed this sentiment, highlighting the recent major labor reform. "All our gratitude. [...] It has restored dignity to the world of work," stated López, who also acknowledged that unity on the left benefits the Socialists as well. Regarding potential candidates, Antonio Maíllo of United Left simply said that a "shake-up" is needed. Sources within the Commons reaffirmed their commitment to forming a new coalition "that will make it possible to defeat the right and the far right once again." Meanwhile, they added, "we must nurture the coalition government, ensuring stability and maximum ambition in achieving social progress."

He reclaims his legacyIn the letter, Díaz asserts the mark she has left on the policies implemented by the Spanish government. "In recent years we have achieved things that seemed impossible," she stated, citing the unemployment rate falling "below 10% with a record number of people employed," the increase in the minimum wage to €1,221, the "protection of the productive sector with the ERTE furlough scheme," as well as the recognition of the rights of domestic workers and the increase in maternity and childcare leave. "I will continue working in government [...] to advance everything that remains to be done," she emphasized.

It has been more than a year and a half since Díaz decided to move away from Sumar's organic leadership to focus on her role in the Spanish government. Conflicts with the other coalition parties, stemming from complaints about her overbearing leadership and poor results in the 2024 European elections, led to a restructuring of the political landscape with Díaz's gradual withdrawal, culminating now with the confirmation that she will not head the list in the next Spanish elections. While other leaders from Más Madrid and Compromís have praised her contributions on social media, sources within the People's Party (PP) have emphasized that Díaz's resignation is "because she knows that even her own party members don't want her."