Antonio Maíllo rejected Podemos's offer of regional unity deals with IU. He said IU would consider only a global pact through Frente Amplio.
Ada Colau's proposed place at the head of Frente Amplio's joint list has opened a dispute over candidate selection 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.
Podemos offered IU unity agreements in 10 autonomous communities. The offer covered Galicia and Asturias, then Cantabria and the Basque Country. It also included Navarre and Castile and León. Castilla-La Mancha and Murcia were included too. Extremadura and Andalusia completed the list.
Madrid and Barcelona were left out. In Andalusia, Podemos also proposed a meeting with IU to form a joint candidacy across all eight provinces.
On October 15, IU federal coordinator Antonio Maíllo rejected the offer and ruled out negotiations with Podemos outside Frente Amplio. He called the regional arrangements fragmented. IU wanted a unified state-wide candidacy that reflected territorial diversity, rather than separate deals by region. Maíllo said IU would consider only a global pact within Frente Amplio, while leaving open the possibility of an overall agreement before the coalition-registration deadline on the evening of October 16.
A separate dispute over candidate selection appeared in coverage of PSOE’s Madrid slate. Belarra objected to how the lead candidate would be chosen; 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.
