"We have taken a step forward by obeying the popular mandate. I appreciate the effort of the seven organizations that have made it possible for us to present the best candidacy: For Andalusia". Antonio Maíllo, the candidate for the left-wing coalition led by Esquerra Unida and Sumar, recalled that Podemos is one of these seven formations that next May 17 will try to spring a surprise in the Andalusian Parliament elections. But at Sunday's rally in Seville, there was no trace of Podemos. The purples, who have reluctantly accepted the Andalusian coalition after two resounding electoral defeats (in Castilla y León and Aragón), do not want to get involved in anything that is not strictly essential. And, despite the evident electoral climate in Andalusia, Sunday saw the presentation of the state pact, which also brings together Comuns and Más Madrid.

"We have taken a step forward by obeying the popular mandate. I appreciate the effort of the seven organizations that have made it possible for us to present the best candidacy: Por Andalucía". Antonio Maíllo, the candidate of the left-wing coalition led by Izquierda Unida and Sumar, recalled that Podemos is one of these seven formations that next May 17 will try to spring a surprise in the Andalusian Parliament elections. But at Sunday's event in Seville, there was no trace of Podemos. The purples, who have reluctantly accepted the Andalusian coalition after two resounding electoral defeats (in Castilla y León and Aragón), do not want to get involved in anything that is not strictly essential. And, despite the evident electoral climate in Andalusia, on Sunday the state pact was presented, which also groups together Comunes and Más Madrid.

"Racist and classist", this is how the Spanish vice president, Yolanda Díaz, of the Sumar space, has described Junts per Catalunya, with whom they agreed to the investiture of the Spanish president, Pedro Sánchez. Díaz has argued that she "knows very well" who Carles Puigdemont's party is and has asserted that "in her life she has never defined Junts as progressive". This accusation, made in an interview with Onda Cero, comes amid a clash with the Junts members over housing measures, as Sumar wants the group led by Miriam Nogueras to validate the decree-law approved by the Council of Ministers in the package of measures for the Iran war that extends rental contracts. Support that Puigdemont's party refuses to give them because they do not share the measure and becausethey have presented an alternative that involves lowering taxes (deductions for tenants and owners). The vote must take place in Congress on April 28 and Sumar has begun a round of contacts to achieve support, which has started off on the wrong foot.

Podemos has reached an agreement with Izquierda Unida and Sumar to run in coalition in the upcoming Andalusian elections on May 17. The pact was sealed before the legal deadline for registering the left-wing confluence under the umbrella of the Por Andalucía brand, which ended at 11:59 PM. In a last-minute negotiation, which lasted more than twelve hours since it began on Thursday morning, the three formations have announced an agreement to run together in a candidacy that will be led by the candidate for the presidency of the Junta de Andalucía, Antonio Maíllo.

Nine times has the spokesperson for Podemos, Pablo Fernández, repeated the "outstretched hand" of the purple party to go in coalition with Izquierda Unida (IU) and Movimiento Sumar for the Andalusian elections on May 17. And it is that after two resounding falls at the polls in Aragon and Castilla y León – with less than 1% of the votes – Podemos is making a 180-degree turn to the strategy of recent months and, for the first time, is opening up to an alliance with Yolanda Díaz's party in an electoral event. It thus lifts the veto it had imposed on Sumar and which had derailed other understandings: "With all actors," he made clear at a press conference. The offer, which comes four days before the deadline to register coalitions, would not change the number 1 position of Por Andalucía, the leader of IU, Antonio Maíllo.

After the clash with the PSOE within the council of ministers On Friday, Sumar is now focusing all its pressure on Junts and the PP to ratify the extension of rental contracts and the limitation on price increases. This is the second decree approved in addition to the one on tax cuts: it has been in effect since Sunday, but it needs the approval of Congress—with the decisive vote of Junts—to remain valid. Early Monday morning, in an interview on RNE, the Second Vice President of the Spanish government, Yolanda Díaz, made it clear that the vote will be "the last day" to extend the validity period as much as possible to validate the measure. Thus, Moncloa will have thirty working days to bring this decree-law to the lower house, which places the parliamentary review in the first week of May. "The three right-wing parties have to explain why they are harming the citizens of our country," Díaz said. Shortly afterwards, on TVE, the Minister of Social Rights, Pablo Bustinduy, called for the "biggest pressure campaign" to get the lower house to give the green light.

The abilities that Pedro Sánchez's government has to take economic and political measures without the Parliament's consent in emergency cases have now been added, out of necessity, the ability to save in extremis, with similar agility, episodes of internal dissent. The last Council of Ministers has been one of the most memorable of this legislature, due to the curious situation caused by the prior negotiation between the socialist majority of the executive and the minority of Sumar. The formation of Vice-President Yolanda Díaz needed to include its own proposals in the package of aid measures for the sectors most affected by the consequences of the war in Iran. From an ideological perspective, it is logical that Sumar insisted on leaving its mark on the drafting of decisions of this type. But it makes little sense to turn the prologue of a Council of Ministers into an episode that the President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez, described as "salseig" (gossip), whether as a dance or as a spicy substance in certain dishes. The Solomon-like solution found —approving two decrees instead of one— served to unblock a situation that was more showy than serious.

The ministers from the Sumar coalition refused to begin the meeting until their demands were met: essentially, the inclusion of rental contract extensions in the measures to address the war in Iran. Their two-hour walkout before Friday's cabinet meeting was resolved with the enactment of two decrees, not just one as the PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party) had intended, to include tax cuts for the most affected sectors. Sumar touted this resolution on Saturday, taking a swipe at their socialist partners. "Without Sumar, there is no government," the movement's coordinator, Lara Hernández, reiterated in a statement without taking questions. A threat to the socialists? The party, still led by Yolanda Díaz, has no intention of leaving the government or jeopardizing the coalition in the face of a potential PP (People's Party)-Vox majority. In fact, Hernández herself emphasized that it is precisely the influence Sumar can wield that makes "being in government worthwhile."

Politics shouldn't be all about pronouncements and grand gestures. Pragmatism is also essential. In short, it's about being practical so that citizens, those governed, feel they aren't being abandoned when times get tough. And this seems to be the path the Spanish government has taken with the package of measures designed to mitigate the effects of the war in the Middle East. The conflict, whose end appears far off, has driven up gas and oil prices and, consequently, the prices of everything related to them, such as fuel and electricity. That's why the measures announced by Pedro Sánchez will amount to around 5 billion euros, far less than the more than 20 billion mobilized in 2022 following the invasion of Ukraine—but we are still in the early stages and don't know how long the war might last. The first decree focuses on reducing energy taxes, one of the services most affected by the impact of the Middle East crisis, and one that could have ripple effects throughout the economy. In addition to lowering the VAT on electricity and gas from the current 21% to 10%, as well as on biomass raw materials such as pellets and firewood, the energy production tax, currently at 7%, is temporarily eliminated and reduced from 5.5% to a special rate of 0.5%. Maximum retail prices for butane and propane are also frozen. The VAT on gasoline and diesel is also reduced, which, according to the Prime Minister's office, will result in a savings of approximately 30 cents per liter when filling up. Consumer organizations estimate that the reduction will be around 17 cents for diesel, which has seen the largest price increase. A key point, also included in the decree, is granting the National Commission for Markets and Competition (CNMC) new supervisory and sanctioning powers to prevent operators from exploiting the tax cut to increase their profit margins and enrich themselves. This is essential to prevent the tax reduction from benefiting certain companies more than citizens and, therefore, taxpayers.

It has been a turbulent week for the left of the PSOE. It started with the hangover with a resounding kick in the elections in Castile and León and it has ended with the Sumar ministers challenging Pedro Sánchez to include measures in housing in the social shield against war. In the midst of it all, the emergence of the Irene Montero - Gabriel Rufián tandem has shaken things up. The event they will share in Barcelona In twenty days, he has brought Podemos back into the equation, pulling it out of the isolation it had been mired in for some time. Those close to the ERC spokesperson in Congress describe it as "just one event and nothing more," but Podemos members hint that it could crystallize into a future electoral alliance. "I can't think of a better team; they have a path I hope they can follow," declared Podemos' general secretary, Ione Belarra. And Irene Montero herself publicly acknowledged that an electoral partnership with Rufián is a "very good idea" and, contrary to what those close to the Republican maintain, confessed that events like this are held "not only for the general elections, but also for the general elections."

Yolanda Díaz has renounced leading the space to the left of the PSOE without a clear successor. After the internal tensions generated by Sumar's personalism in 2023, the strategy for the elections scheduled for 2027 has been turned upside down. The priority is now alliances between parties, and ultimately, the name of the list leader will emerge. For now, Comuns, Més Madrid, Esquerra Unida, and Moviment Sumar have announced they will run in a coalition –without yet specifying how and with whom– with the aim of attracting other formations such as Podem, Compromís, Chunta Aragonesista, or Més per Mallorca. Díaz's step asideclears the way for new leaderships to emerge in a project presented as more of a collective effort. Who could replace her?

Before launching Sumar in 2023, Yolanda Díaz repeatedly emphasized that the project she wanted to lead wasn't about party labels or personalities, but rather a citizens' platform where political parties would play a secondary role, avoiding the partisan battles that have often characterized the left. In fact, the current Second Vice President of the Spanish government and Minister of Labor embarked on a nationwide tour—what she called a "listening process"—to present and connect her project with the public. Nothing went as planned: from the outset, Sumar became a platform centered around Yolanda Díaz, and the conflict with Podemos dominated the negotiations to form what ultimately became a traditional electoral coalition. Now, many of the key figures from Sumar three years ago have set out to revive a joint project—under the provisional title of Un Pas Endavant—and avoid repeating the mistakes of the past. Is it possible?

The debate about unity to the left of the PSOE has resurfaced strongly in recent days. Gabriel Rufián's call on Wednesday not to split the progressive vote The prospect of running together again in the upcoming general elections resonated this Saturday at another event in Madrid. Comunes, Más Madrid, Izquierda Unida, and Movimiento Sumar staged a demonstration that they will once again contest the elections scheduled for 2027, amid heightened anticipation. because of the Republican's proposalWhile these groups' approach differs from that of the ERC spokesperson in Congress, and there are no realistic expectations of bringing the pro-independence parties on board, the new electoral coalition—still in its very early stages—has emphasized the need to be as many actors as possible within a single candidacy. "We won't close the door to anyone," they stated. This appeal does reflect a desire—currently a pipe dream after the traumatic split at the beginning of the legislature—to attract Podemos. They have also included other parties with which they have previously joined forces, such as Compromís and Més per Mallorca. the Aragonese UnionOf these, only the Valencia fans attended the presentation, in which Yolanda Díaz was notably absent.

The debate surrounding broad coalitions has shaken the left since Gabriel Rufián brought it to the forefront. The proposal has engaged the Comuns, who are working in discreet meetings to revive their coalition to the left of the PSOE with Izquierda Unida, Más País, and Sumar, after Yolanda Díaz's party lost momentum following successive electoral defeats and the conflict declared against it by Podemos. With this new coalition, sources within Comuns assert that the Catalan party will have a "more prominent role" in the new project, which aims for greater "horizontal" collaboration among the member parties now that there is no longer a nationally representative force, as Podemos was until 2019 or Sumar at its inception. The ultimate goal remains to find a "winning formula" to re-establish the coalition government and avoid a PP-Vox coalition.

This week, the Ukrainian city of Sumi It has suffered one of the worst attacks of the year. Just 25 kilometers from Russia and 17 from the front lines, the Russians launched kamikaze drones in broad daylight, which struck the city center and left dozens wounded. The attacks were concentrated on administrative and residential buildings for almost four hours. The scenes were of ordinary people running for shelter, panic attacks, and shattered windows. The cafes, spaces that have become a kind of sanctuary for Ukrainians in these last four years of war, where drinking a good cup of coffee is almost a religious practice, were also targeted.

Before 500 people in a hall that two hours later would host a jazz concert, Gabriel Rufián posed a question: "What's the point of fourteen left-wing parties representing the same thing running in the same place, competing for positions?" After many days of speculation and discussions, the ERC spokesperson in Congress has outlined his proposal to form a united left-wing front for the upcoming general elections. His roadmap consists of establishing "three or four common programmatic points" for the left and having the parties run province by province. "Each one in their own home, and antifascism, the right to self-determination, and the improvement of living conditions, in everyone's home," he declared solemnly. He also opened the door to forming a joint parliamentary group in Congress. This took place at an event in the Galileo Galilei Hall in Madrid, where he was accompanied by Emilio Delgado, a regional deputy from Más Madrid.

The election results in Aragon and Extremadura have left the People's Party (PP) at the mercy of Vox. The PP is torn between accepting the conditions set by the far right to retain power and trying to drag out negotiations as long as possible, with the specter of a repeat election looming. This dependence on Vox to secure a majority puts the PP in a precarious position and opens up a new possibility. a dilemma within the partywho refuses at all costs to explore any understandings with Pedro Sánchez's PSOE.

After the internal booing within the Spanish government Amidst the PSOE-Sumar coalition government's push for tax breaks for landlords, Pedro Sánchez's administration is seeking a balance in its initial tax proposal to try and resolve the dispute. Specifically, the Socialist-led Ministries of Housing and Finance are exploring a formula that combines incentives for landlords who offer a rent reduction when a lease is up for renewal, and penalties for those who raise it, as announced this Friday. The Country Sources within the Ministry of Housing confirm this to ARA. However, the proposal is still in its very early stages, and Sumar, the minority partner, is not convinced. Sources from the party led by Yolanda Díaz confirm that the Socialist wing has put the proposal on the table—negotiations have been ongoing for some time—but insist that tax measures cannot be the only solution for controlling rental prices.

While Gabriel Rufián embarks on a nearly solitary journey. To forge alliances with left-wing forces throughout the state, Sumar has taken a right-wing approach, anticipating the move of the Republican spokesperson, and has announced a new coalition with Comunes, Más Madrid, and Izquierda Unida for the upcoming general elections. The presentation of the new "common alliance" will take place on Saturday, February 21st, at the Círculo de Bellas Artes in Madrid. "A solid and trustworthy space over time that allows the transformative and plurinational left-wing movements of the State to come together," the four parties assert. In fact, the new agreement will be a kind of revalidation after the three years of experience of Sumar, the platform that Yolanda Díaz was solemnized in April 2023 and who ran in the June 23rd elections. Meanwhile, Rufián is sticking to his roadmap. The ERC spokesperson in Congress admits that, despite having "0% political support," he has a "much higher percentage of popular support" and defends his commitment to going beyond Catalonia's borders: "Representing someone from Algeciras doesn't make me any less Catalan or less pro-independence."

The left wing of the PSOE has long been engaged in a renewal process. Sumar, the citizens' movement launched by Yolanda Díaz in April 2023, hastily transformed into an electoral coalition for the June 23rd general election, aiming to unite progressives across Spain. However, nearly three years later, it has lost its initial momentum. Since its initial unity, the Sumar alliance has suffered an irreparable split with Podemos; the defection of part of Compromís; three electoral defeats in Galicia, the Basque Country, and the European elections; and has produced a diverse range of positions on key issues without achieving the desired appeal. Nevertheless, the left is not throwing in the towel and has joined forces to revitalize itself. For months, with particular emphasis in recent weeks, the Sumar Movement, United Left, Más Madrid, and Comunes—the four parties with representation in the cabinet—have been holding talks to carry out a necessary comprehensive update to the alliance in preparation for the upcoming general elections. However, the new horizon is emerging after Podemos has separated from him and Compromís has distanced itself from him, without a defined leadership and with deep doubts about the role that Yolanda Díaz should have.