Podemos surrenders to the most ideological voter to survive 28-M… and Yolanda Díaz afterwards

Podemos closes its most difficult electoral campaign. Now he only has to close his eyes, catch a breath and trust that his brave strategy to mobilize the irreducible and most ideological voters has worked. Well, the result of this 28-M will depend to a large extent on its new role in the reconfiguration of the space of the alternative left to the PSOE. In other words, in June the negotiations to set up the confluence of the general elections under the leadership of Yolanda Díaz are resumed and one of the great debates that has stressed the forces called to unite in Sumar is how much weight the formation must have dwelling. This reading will also be done with the electoral results in hand.. And these are not exactly looking good, with Podemos fighting to survive in places as politically relevant as the Community of Madrid or the Valencian Community.

Is there a change of cycle in the alternative left? In leadership there is. Now Pablo Iglesias is no longer the icon, but Yolanda Díaz is. But that relay is one thing and another that Podemos is willing to peacefully hand over preponderance in space and simply accept playing a secondary role.. Of course it isn't. And it is what explains all the war unleashed in the last year and that was expressed in a crude and emphatic way with the absence of the national leadership of Podemos in the announcement of Díaz's candidacy in that multiparty act in Magariños.

This internal axis of dispute for power has crossed the campaign from top to bottom. Contextualize messages. Clarify the movements of each other. Visualize the configuration of the new poles of influence. Translate gestures and words. Explain that Ione Belarra and Irene Montero have not shared a single moment with Díaz throughout the campaign. Or that Alberto Garzón (IU) has done the least with them despite achieving a record of alliances between the two forces. Point out the reason for the verbal escalation with which Pablo Iglesias has broken in. Or, to conclude, it serves to interpret why the leader of Sumar has made her own tour and why it was based on the premise of balancing to satisfy the forces that she aspires to gather in Sumar. Like Más Madrid or Compromís, for whom it has gotten wet in these weeks more than expected, causing deep discomfort in the candidacies of Podemos that have been thwarted by these shows of support. She was effusive with Mónica García and Rita Maestre in Madrid and explicit in pointing out Joan Ribó as her bet in the city of Valencia.

In contrast, Díaz has compensated the purples with the support of four regional candidates from United We Can. Three where there was no competition in the political space (Balearic Islands, Extremadura and Navarra) and only in one place where it did exist (Valencian Community) but in which the progressive government depends on survival in the Cortes. Likewise, it has tried to encourage many municipal candidacies that, broadly speaking, aroused unity. And with absolute devotion to Ada Colau, with which she has devoted herself like the most.

It has been a difficult campaign for Podemos because for the first time it has had to compete for attention with the leadership that the vice president had. And it has been above all difficult due to the burden that has caused it to appear as a force besieged by the new that is emerging and by low expectations for 28-M.

This has greatly hardened the content and style of the Podemos campaign, in which the most ideological and irreducibly left-wing voter has been sought. “Courage to transform” has been the motto. An idea that has been expressed to defend a way of disputing politics “without smiles” or “hugs”, with “noise” and using “conflict” to get things done. An idea that has been opposed to the “cowardice” of others and those who want to “look like” the PSOE. Yes, messages directed at Díaz and his allies. “Whoever says 'don't make noise' underpins the boss's speech,” Iglesias openly reprimanded him.

Listening to the Díaz and Podemos rallies was like going to see two different parties. Especially when Belarra, Montero and Iglesias bet everything on the most aggressive discourse, displacing other issues to place their attacks against the “mafia” and the “corruption” of politicians, businessmen and journalists in the center.. It was when the banners and shirts against the brother of Isabel Díaz Ayuso or the poster against Florentino Pérez appeared. The two people most cited by the leaders and candidates of Podemos in the last week.

The purple formation defends this 28-M its presence in six autonomous governments: the Valencian Community, Aragon, the Balearic Islands, Navarra, the Canary Islands and La Rioja. The leaders hope to retain the majority and aspire to be decisive in Extremadura. However, the ballot boxes will measure their capacity for resistance, beyond the fact that it can serve to add to those pacts.

And that resilience is compromised in Madrid. Not entering the Assembly would be a real disaster. In the capital they started from a worse position. For both places, he needs 5% of the votes and all the resources of the party have been invested in achieving it.. «Madrid already has a conservative left [PSOE] and a cuqui left [Más Madrid]. What good has all that left? You're welcome, we need a brave left that is not afraid of Florentino Pérez,” Belarra claimed yesterday.