Irene Montero to lead Podemos left-wing candidacy for general elections

Irene Montero, the MEP for Podemos and former Minister of Equality, will officially present her candidacy to lead a left-wing coalition in the upcoming general elections during a party event in Madrid. Under the slogan ‘Paz, casa, trabajo’ (Peace, home, work), Montero aims to establish a project that is ‘distinctly left-wing’ and seeks to compete for leadership within the political space to the left of the PSOE.

Her platform focuses on five key priorities: fair housing prices, reduced working hours to improve quality of life, lowering the cost of living, defending peace, and combating the climate emergency. Montero intends to position herself as an alternative within a fragmented left-wing landscape, particularly as the Sumar space currently lacks a clear candidate.

While Podemos has previously explored potential electoral understandings with figures like ERC spokesperson Gabriel Rufián, the party currently maintains a veto against the Sumar movement led by Yolanda Díaz. The goal remains to build the broadest possible left-wing candidacy for the 2027 elections.