Podem maintains "conversations" with the Broad Front: "We will try all forms of collaboration"

BarcelonaWith three days left until the deadline for submitting coalitions for the Spanish elections, the political groups to the left of the PSOE are resisting giving up on unity. The different parties maintain the objective after a long weekend of cross-announcements, with the Rufián-Podem agreement on one hand and the choice of Ada Colau as the Broad Front's presidential candidate on the other. The Podemos candidate, Irene Montero, one of the most belligerent voices in the tug-of-war between the different spaces of the Spanish left, has admitted that "conversations" remain open with the Broad Front. "Yes, there are always conversations," she said in statements to Cadena Ser. And she added: "There are few days left, and the most important thing is that we take care of things and try to ensure they finally come to a successful conclusion."

Montero, who has avoided polemics with the Broad Front formations - Sumar, Comuns Esquerra Unida, and Más Madrid -, has invited these parties to join the "framework of collaboration" closed with ERC. "Of course it is open to them [...] We must continue working so that many more people are involved and so that the candidacy represents that majority of the left that wants the price of rent and the cost of living to go down." "We will continue talking and trying all forms of collaboration," she said later in statements to TVE.

The Podemos candidate expressed herself in these terms after the coordinator of the Sumar Movement stated on Telecinco that they are confident in unity despite Rufián's move. "The Broad Front is the unity of the left and obviously all political organizations that want to, including Podemos, are invited to participate," she said. And she was even clearer: "We want Podemos to be inside because we understand that what the public expects is for us to be able to revalidate a coalition government." For now, the purple party considers it ruled out to integrate into the candidacy around Sumar.

Rufián has also assured in the last few hours that he continues working to unite the left ahead of November 29th following the agreement with Irene Montero's group, through which Podemos will not run in Catalonia and will integrate into the republican list. An agreement that, despite the call to continue negotiating, has been heavily criticized by Barbero. The coordinator of Sumar has accused the ERC candidate of a "change of opinion" regarding the left-wing alliances that she believes he has advocated in recent months: "It does not seem very fair to the citizens that Rufián inspires, because he is a very charismatic, respected and highly reputed leader," she said.

Friday, the deadline

Crossed reproaches and criticisms do not help in the negotiations, nor do the paths to reach unity proposed on both sides, and above all, the urgency with which it is necessary to work. It must be taken into account that on the 16th, this coming Friday, the deadline for submitting coalitions for the elections ends, which shortens the margin for negotiations. On the other hand, Wednesday and Thursday the primaries to choose candidates that Podemos has decided to move forward with despite the disagreement expressed by the Broad Front are being held. These are primaries open to all citizens and in which one can vote through the website primarias.info.