On October 15, IU federal coordinator Antonio Maíllo rejected Podemos's offer of unity agreements in 10 autonomous communities and ruled out talks outside Frente Amplio. He called the regional arrangements fragmented and said IU would consider only a global pact within the alliance, with a unified state-wide candidacy reflecting territorial diversity.
Maíllo left open the possibility of an overall agreement before the coalition-registration deadline on the evening of October 16.
The offer covered Galicia and Asturias, Cantabria and the Basque Country, Navarre and Castile and León, Castilla-La Mancha and Murcia, Extremadura and Andalusia. Madrid and Barcelona were left out. In Andalusia, Podemos also proposed a meeting with IU to form a joint candidacy across all eight provinces.
A separate dispute over candidate selection has arisen around Ada Colau's proposed place at the head of Frente Amplio's joint list ahead of the November 29 snap general election. Podemos secretary-general Ione Belarra questioned Colau's decision to accept the role without taking part in primaries. Colau is the former mayor of Barcelona.
The candidate-selection dispute also surfaced in coverage of PSOE’s Madrid slate. Belarra objected to how the lead candidate would be chosen, while Maíllo challenged the scope of cooperation between IU and Podemos. The disputes unfolded as the parties prepared to register coalitions by the evening of October 16.
