Four parties have proposed Ada Colau to lead Frente Amplio in the 29 November election. They say the invitation to Podemos remains open as they press for a united project.
At meetings on Monday afternoon, four groups agreed on a candidate for the 29 November general election. Movimiento Sumar and Comuns joined Más Madrid and Izquierda Unida in proposing Ada Colau, the former Barcelona mayor, for the presidency of the government. RTVE and EFE independently reported the nomination, while noting that a fully unified electoral front with all left-wing forces has yet to be agreed. Podemos has been invited, but its participation is not settled.
The groups say Colau is best placed to lead the project in the current political situation. Their joint statement sets out their preferred candidate; the wider coalition question remains open.
Frente Amplio has not yet decided whether Colau will head the list in Barcelona or Madrid, EFE reported.
Podemos has meanwhile reached an agreement with ERC to cooperate in Catalonia at the coming general election. Gabriel Rufián and Irene Montero will campaign together under the arrangement. The parties behind Frente Amplio are still trying to bring Podemos into their project, even as it develops a separate electoral collaboration.
A separate Senate pact is also taking shape for the same date. ERC and EH Bildu have agreed to renew their joint coalition for the Senate election, presenting it as a way to defend the interests of Catalonia and the Basque Country. The pact still needs ratification. It is distinct from the Podemos-ERC cooperation described by the four Frente Amplio parties.
Under the Podemos-ERC arrangement, the parties will not compete against each other in Catalonia: Podemos will support ERC’s campaign there, while ERC considers Rufián its prospective lead candidate for Congress. Podemos, in turn, retains Montero as its national figure.
The four groups want every organisation that came together in 2023 and helped renew the coalition government to join the new project. They have kept the door open to Podemos, asking every organisation to state clearly whether it wants to contribute to unity. In a joint statement with ERC, Podemos also described Colau as a leader who could help create a Frente Amplio for all interested forces. That signals support for her role, but does not confirm Podemos’s entry into the coalition.
Colau is the four groups’ proposed candidate. Podemos has not confirmed whether it will join Frente Amplio.
