Spain’s ruling PSOE unveils top candidate as time for alliances runs short

The socialist PSOE party unveiled the names of two of the progressive formation’s top candidates to accompany party leader and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchz ahead of the general election due on 23 July, while left parties Sumar and Unidas Podemos now have little time left to join forces.

The surprise came Wednesday morning after socialist sources told EURACTIV’s partner EFE that Ecological Transition Minister Teresa Ribera would be Sánchez’s number two on PSOE’s list and Defence Minister Margarita Robles would be “number four”.

“It is an honour to be proposed as an MP on the list for Madrid to the Federal Committee. Thank you! I am proud of the commitment of the PSOE and its Secretary General (Pedro Sánchez)”, Ribera stressed on Twitter.

“I am very respectful of the Federal Committee of the party that has to decide the lists”, but “I feel very proud to be part of the socialist project again, of lists and of a government that in difficult times has been with the most vulnerable citizens”, Robles added.

It is foreseen that the party’s Federal Committee will confirm the lists of candidates to run in the general election on Saturday, following proposals made throughout the week in the regions and Autonomous Communities.

The internal process began with the local socialist groupings throughout Spain (PSOE regional bodies), which had until 6 June to propose the names of candidates.

Clock is ticking

Meanwhile, with little time left to register a united left-wing progressive coalition before the Friday deadline, negotiations between Unidas Podemos and Sumar still appeared extremely tense, with no agreement in sight.

Yet Sumar´s new campaign spokesperson, MEP Ernest Urtasun, expressed optimism, stating that the agreement is being finalised and that Sumar will not rush the deadlines.

“We want to send a message of optimism. Things are going well, it is a complex puzzle, but the talks are moving forward. We are not going to wait until the last minute to close the agreement, but we are going to say that the talks are progressing at a perfect pace and that we are optimistic that we will start to give news very soon”, Urtasun insisted.

Meanwhile, Podemos leaders and activists in Madrid, Extremadura (southeast) and the Valencia region (east) have pressured Social Rights Minister of and the party’s Secretary General, Ione Belarra, to join Sumar.

Alejandra Jacinto, Unidas Podemos’ candidate in the 28 May municipal and regional elections, published Wednesday an oped in which she argues that the – catastrophic – results for the left-wing formation would have been different had the left been united.

“If we know how to read (understand) what has happened -the crushing defeat of the left camp-we have before us the clues to write the future”, Jacinto warned.

Meanwhile, Podemos coordinator in Extremadura, Irene de Miguel, called for a binding agreement with Sumar and for those who “do not want unity” to “step aside”.

In the Valencia region (east), a group of Podemos activists drew up a manifesto on Wednesday calling for quick integration of the party in Sumar.

(Fernando Heller | EuroEFE.EURACTIV.es)