Podemos is at risk of disappearing from Madrid's political scene. Ione Belarra will lead the party in the 2027 regional elections. The outcome could determine the party's future in Spain.
Podemos is entering a decisive phase in Madrid, where the party's future presence in regional politics is at stake. After failing to secure seats in the 2023 Madrid Assembly elections, Podemos now relies on Ione Belarra, its secretary general, who has announced her candidacy for the 2027 regional elections. This move comes amid ongoing doubts about the party's ability to recover from recent electoral defeats and internal divisions.
The announcement of Belarra's candidacy has been met with skepticism by other left-wing parties in Madrid. While the Socialists argue that further splitting the progressive vote is unnecessary, Más Madrid views Podemos as a force of the past and is confident in its own parliamentary work. Unlike Podemos, these parties currently hold seats in the regional parliament, highlighting the scale of the challenge facing Belarra and her team.
Podemos has struggled to regain momentum since its peak in 2014, when it disrupted Spain's traditional two-party system. The party's decline became evident in the 2023 Madrid elections, where it failed to enter the Assembly, a setback that followed a brief recovery in 2021 under Pablo Iglesias. The latest electoral cycle has exposed further weaknesses, with disappointing results in regions like Andalucía, Aragón, and Castilla y León. In Andalucía, despite forming a coalition with Izquierda Unida and Movimiento Sumar, Podemos failed to secure any seats, while its rival Adelante achieved greater support.
Leadership within Podemos remains concentrated around Ione Belarra and Irene Montero, both of whom share responsibility for the party's direction. Their main political opponent in Madrid is Isabel Díaz Ayuso, whose leadership of the regional government has shifted the political balance to the right. The possibility of a left-wing government in Madrid now depends on Podemos regaining representation and forming alliances with other progressive parties, a scenario that appears increasingly difficult given recent trends.
National political uncertainty adds to the complexity. Although the government insists it will serve its full term, ongoing corruption scandals surrounding the PSOE have raised questions about the stability of Pedro Sánchez's administration. Meanwhile, discussions about alliances among Izquierda Unida, Comuns, Más Madrid, and Movimiento Sumar continue without clear outcomes, as key decisions on leadership and program remain unresolved. The threat of a PP and Vox majority looms over both national and regional politics, with polls suggesting this outcome is likely.
In Madrid, the Partido Popular aims to repeat its absolute majority from 2023, but the rise of Vox has intensified competition on the right. Recent disputes between Ayuso and Vox spokesperson Isabel Pérez Moñino, particularly over immigration, have highlighted the rivalry. Podemos sees its opposition to both Ayuso and Vox as a central part of its campaign, positioning itself as a defender against the far right and seeking to play a role in the broader reorganization of the Spanish left.
Looking ahead, Podemos faces the dual challenge of overcoming its own internal crisis and countering the dominance of Ayuso and Vox in Madrid. The party's ability to secure seats in the Assembly and participate in left-wing alliances will be crucial for its survival. For context, Madrid's regional parliament is a key battleground in Spanish politics, and the outcome of the 2027 elections could influence the national landscape. The fragmentation of the left and the consolidation of the right have made the political environment more volatile, with practical consequences for governance, policy direction, and the representation of progressive voters in the region.
