María Pozuelo: "There are contacts with ERC, Comuns and CUP for the municipal elections"

BarcelonaMaría Pozuelo (Lanzarote, 1976), coordinator of Podem Catalunya since June 28, 2025, just a year ago, receives ARA as the pre-campaign for the municipal elections begins and coincides with a climate of possible pacts in the left-wing bloc.

At the beginning of this month, her party announced an attempt to run with Esquerra Republicana in the municipal elections in some municipalities. Is there any agreement?

— Well, no. In fact, they contacted us a few months ago, before Christmas, to join forces where the far-right will enter strongly. Nothing has been signed, only intentions to assess in which municipalities it is possible. With Esquerra we have already started, it remains to be seen if any type of agreement will actually be signed later or not. We also started conversations with the CUP. And a few days ago Comuns contacted us, also to sit down and talk and see possibilities for agreement at the municipal level.

Will it be an "umbrella" agreement for all municipalities?

— No, they will be specific agreements in each municipality. We made the framework agreement in 2023 with Comuns and we ran in all municipalities as En Comú Podem. This time the leadership will not impose a pact at the Catalan level with them; it will not happen. The membership of each municipality will decide, because at the municipal level the personal relationship with parties like Esquerra or Comuns counts a lot. What is viable in one town may not be in another.

Has there been any agreement yet or not?

— No. There are initial agreements in some municipalities, but it has not been closed, there is absolutely nothing, among other things because we first have to hold our primaries in September.

Could these municipal pacts be a prelude to a left-wing front in the general elections?

— Podemos already led this with Unidas Podemos and we don't lose sight of it. The question is why this unity is desired. People are tired of parlor pacts just to distribute chairs. If the line of the rest of the parties is to truly transform society and stop the far-right, it is clear that this unity agreement will be possible.

In municipal terms, does the nationalist axis weigh less when negotiating?

— That's how I understand it. We need to join forces. But it depends on other parties where perhaps they can feel stronger and not need anyone. In Barcelona, for example, Elisenda [Alamany] wants to go it alone. I respect that, but I think we would do well if we formed a great unity candidacy in the city to reach City Hall and implement bold left-wing policies.

Do you find it easier to negotiate this left-wing front with Rufián or with Junqueras?

— They have an internal debate and we need to give them time. But weeks ago I was in Badalona, where we were invited to the presentation of their candidate, and I heard a Junqueras who argued that we need to unite and that we need the strength and courage of all left-wing political parties in the face of the far-right. While ERC debates it, we will continue working to be the left-wing political force that can truly transform.

And with the Comuns have there been approaches after you denied Albiach and Pisarello in April, when they said they were already negotiating?

— At that time it was not true that they had contacted us to negotiate. But in these last few days they have contacted us to normalize relations. We plan to meet in a few days and start talking at the municipal level.

Pisarello did not renounce his seat as a deputy even though he won the Comuns primaries in Barcelona. Do you think he did it to prevent the next person on the list, who would be you, from entering, and thus Podem would not have one more deputy?

— These are questions to ask him. Candela [López] also said she was leaving her seat upon being elected coordinator of Comuns and she didn't do it either. They know that whoever would enter is a person from Podem, in this case me. They must have their reasons, I will not go into evaluating if it is the best.

Ione Belarra declares the legislature exhausted. How do you assess a possible early election for the left?

— Well, here each party will have to assess how they are at this moment. We, I think we are strong. The legislature has been exhausted for a long time. Sánchez will present budgets that he knows will not be approved as a smokescreen to go to elections. The coalition government has done practically nothing to improve people's real situation. People can be fooled once, but no more.

This Thursday Rufián announced the PSOE's contact to negotiate the 2027 budgets. Have they called you?

— I don't know. But to support them we have clear red lines: rents must be lowered by law by 40%. The government is doing politics far from the street. Here we demand zero evictions from Mr. Illa. It cannot be that the Mossos make exorbitant setups to evict families from their homes.

Would Podem support Junts' proposal to remove Sánchez for another PSOE candidate?

— It's not a matter of figures, the PSOE and the government can no longer cope; it doesn't matter who they put in. Junts proposes this out of fear of the far-right, but Sánchez, one way or another, I believe has made it clear that he will present budgets and when they are not approved, which everything suggests they won't be, I understand he will call elections.

How do you value the growth of Aliança Catalana?

— It is a racist far-right party that has no real proposals and only seeks to confront by pointing out migrants. The most serious thing is that Junts, at many moments, has approached their positions and reinforced their message.

How do you assess the PSOE's judicial cases after the 24-year sentence for Ábalos?

— It is disappointing. As Belarra said, the PSOE always disappoints at the end of its cycles: it happened with González, Zapatero, and now with Sánchez and his circle. Bipartisanship always ends up drowned in corruption. But companies that corrupt must also be banned from public contracts.