United We Can
Unidas Podemos
AbbreviationUP
FounderPablo Iglesias (Podemos)
Founded
  • 13 May 2016 (2016-05-13) (Unidos Podemos)
  • 7 April 2019 (2019-04-07) (Unidas Podemos)
Dissolved9 June 2023 (2023-06-09)
Merged intoSumar
HeadquartersMadrid, Calle de la Princesa, 2, 28013
IdeologyDemocratic socialism
Left-wing populism
Republicanism[1]
Federalism
Political positionLeft-wing to far-left
Colours  Purple
SloganLa historia la escribes tú ("History is Written by You")
Election symbol
Website
lasonrisadeunpais.es

Unidas Podemos (Spanish: [uˈniðas poˈðemos]), formerly called Unidos Podemos[2] (Spanish: [uˈniðos poˈðemos]) and also known in English as United We Can, was a democratic socialist[3] electoral alliance formed by Podemos, United Left, and other left-wing[4][5] to far-left parties[6][7][8] in May to contest the 2016 Spanish general election. The alliance's official pre-agreement was announced on 9 May 2016 after weeks of negotiations. It was re-styled to the feminine form of its name ahead of the April 2019 Spanish general election.[9][10]

Part of the anti-austerity[11] and anti-globalization movements,[12] it advocates direct democracy,[12] federalism,[13] and republicanism in Spain.[1] After the November 2019 Spanish general election, it formed a coalition government with the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party.[14][15][16]

History

Background

While campaigning for the 2015 Spanish general election, the United Left (IU) promoted the creation of, and later joined, the Now in Common (Ahora en Común, AeC) platform, seeking a wide alliance with other left-wing parties.[17] After Podemos rejected invitations to join to what some members of this party called an "acronym soup", heightened after the failure of Catalunya Sí que es Pot in the 2015 Catalan election,[18] the AeC platform gradually lost momentum: its founding members left the project and the brand name was lost. Eventually, the platform turned into the Popular Unity (IU-UPeC) electoral coalition without having fulfilled its initial aspirations.[19]

Negotiations

From 20 April 2016, Podemos and Popular Unity were reported to be in negotiations to form a joint electoral list for upcoming general election aimed at relegating the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) into third place.[20][21] Leaders from both parties denied that any agreement had been reached, and stated that they "would not do anything until it [the new election] was sure", but confirmed that unofficial talks had begun.[22] More than one hundred intellectuals and artists, including El Gran Wyoming, Antonia San Juan, Carlos Bardem, Fernando Tejero, and Luis Tosar, signed a manifesto calling for Podemos, IU and their regional alliances to join forces for the coming election.[23] On the other hand, some member parties of IU such as Open Left, led by former IU leader, Gaspar Llamazares, were opposed to the alliance from the beginning.[24]

Among the supporters of such an alliance was one Podemos' founders, Juan Carlos Monedero—who proposed that both parties should come together under the name "Podemos En Común" (Spanish for We Can In Common).[25] Mayor of Barcelona Ada Colau, also voiced her support for such a pact stating "I would see as positive that it could be put together, always with respect",[26] her En Comú Podem regional alliance having already seen both parties working together in Catalonia. Valencian Vice President Mònica Oltra had also commented that she would see a Podemos–IU alliance as "good", so as to "make every vote count" and for "six million votes having a correct translation in deputies", in reference to the Spanish electoral system panning IU in the 2015 election.[27]

Iglesias Turrión and Garzón announcing their alliance ahead of the 2016 Spanish general election

By 30 April 2016, both Podemos and IU acknowledged that formal coalition talks had started and that, despite differences over the coalition name and the composition of party lists, with discussions continuing throughout the following week.[28] Concurrently, IU submitted its plan for an alliance with Podemos to a membership vote held on 2–4 May,[29] which received 85% of the vote in favour.[30] Despite the ongoing negotiations on 4 May,[31][32] Podemos and IU leaders took the coalition between both of their parties for granted, setting the People's Party (PP) as their main electoral rival and seeking to marginalise the PSOE.[33] It was reported that both parties intended to formally announce their alliance during the 5th anniversary of the 15-M Movement.[34]

On 9 May 2016, Pablo Iglesias Turrión of Podemos and Alberto Garzón of IU officially announced an alliance between their respective parties,[35][36] with both leaders symbolically sealing their pact through an embrace at Puerta del Sol in Madrid, landmark of the 15-M movement.[37] The pact guaranteed that 1/6 of the candidates obtained by the coalition—as planned and without including the regional coalitions En Comú Podem, En Marea and És el moment—were to be awarded to IU candidates. In addition, the distinct identity of each party was to be preserved. Podemos, IU and Equo put the alliance up to votes from their respective memberships on 10–11 May, all of which overwhelmingly supported the pact.[38][39]

United Left referendum, 10–11 may[40]
Choice Votes  %
check Yes 20,302 87.85
No 2,433 10.53
Invalid or blank votes 374 1.62
Total votes 23,109 100.00
Total census and turnout 72,041 32.08
Source: Podemos
  
Podemos referendum, 10–11 May[41]
Choice Votes  %
check Yes 141,649 98.00
No 2,787 1.93
Invalid or blank votes 104 0.07
Total votes 144,540 100.00
Active voters and turnout 239,702 60.30
Total census and turnout 413,915 34.92
Source: Podemos
  
Equo referendum, 10–11 May[42]
Choice Votes  %
check Yes 858 91.96
No 56 6.00
Invalid or blank votes 19 2.04
Total votes 933 100.00
Total census and turnout 3,394 27.49
Source: eldiario.es

On 13 May 2016, it was announced that the alliance would be named Unidos Podemos, Spanish for United We Can.[2]

Other incorporations

Discussions between Podemos and Més per Mallorca (Més) started in the Balearic Islands by late April ahead of a prospective electoral alliance, aiming at forming a "grand coalition of the left" in the islands.[43] Despite initial disagreements over Més's place in the Congress lists, both parties finally reached an agreement on 13 May 2016 to run together in the Balearics under the "Units Podem Més" label (Catalan for United We Can More).[44][45]

Earlier on 11 May 2016, Navarrese party Batzarre—from 2011 within the Izquierda-Ezkerra alliance with IU in Navarre—had voted for joining the Podemos–IU alliance.[46] That same day, For a Fairer World (Por un Mundo más Justo, PUM+J), which had previously participated in left-wing alliances such as Ahora Madrid, had announced its intention to join the alliance with 61% of its members favouring the pact.[47] Also joining the alliance was Zaragoza in Common (ZEC), the municipal alliance created for the 2015 municipal election in the city of Zaragoza and which went on to win the city's government.[48]

2016 general election

The results of the alliance between Podemos and IU were "highly disappointing" as Pablo Iglesias said the electoral night, however, the alliance itself was called 'the right path'. Unidos Podemos got 71 seats, the same as in December, losing near 1.1 million votes.

2019 general elections

In the April 2019 Spanish general election, the party lost 29 seats and fell to the 4th place in the Congress of Deputies, below Ciudadanos. In the November 2019 Spanish general election, the party lost 7 more seats, falling in 4th place, this time below Vox. It entered a coalition government with the PSOE.

2019 European Parliament election

On 26 May 2018, Podemos announced that the name of the coalition for the 2019 European Parliament election in Spain would be Unidas Podemos cambiar Europa ("United We Can Change Europe").[49]

Composition

Party Scope Notes
We Can (Podemos) Nationwide
Building the Left–Socialist Alternative (CLI–AS) Dissolved in 2018.
Popular Unity in Common (UPeC) Dissolved in 2016.
Participatory Democracy (Participa) Left in 2016.
Equo (Equo) Left in September 2019.
Green Alliance (AV) Formed in June 2021.
United Left (IU)
Communist Party of Spain (PCE)
The Dawn. Marxist Organization OM (La Aurora (om))
Republican Left (IR)
Open Left (IzAb) Left in December 2018.
Feminist Party of Spain (PFE) Expelled in February 2020.
Unitarian Candidacy of Workers (CUT) Andalusia Joined in 2018.
Initiative for El Hierro (IpH) El Hierro
Assembly (Batzarre) Navarre
Upper Aragon in Common (AltoAragón en Común) Huesca Formed in March 2018.
Segoviemos (SGV) Segovia Dissolved in December 2016
More for Mallorca (Més) Balearic Islands Left in 2016.
Asturian Left (IAS) Asturias Left in 2016.
Castilian Left (IzCa) Valladolid Left in 2016.
Confluences
Elkarrekin Podemos Basque Country Formed in August 2016.
In Common We Can (ECP) Catalonia
Galicia in Common (GeC) Galicia Formed in March 2019.
En Marea (EM) Galicia Expelled in January 2019.
Valencian style (ALV) Valencian Community Dissolved in July 2016.

Ideology

The alliance is mostly dominated by the left-wing Podemos, but there are also further left factions, mostly arising from the United Left (IU) political coalition. Podemos is the only mainstream party that seriously questions the role of the monarchy and the Spanish constitution as it stands. The founder and former leader of Podemos, Pablo Iglesias Turrión, wants Catalonia to continue as part of Spain, but says his party would respect the will of the 80% of Catalans who want a referendum according to polls. The party has called for the release of jailed Catalan leaders on trial in Spain's Supreme Court.[50] It is a coalition of other leftist parties, but the Communist Party of Spain (PCE) is the only member party that still runs at the national level.[51]

Podemos presented a collaboratively written program for the 2014 European Parliament election in Spain. Some of the most important policies were emphasis on public control, poverty reduction, and social dignity via a basic income for everyone, including lobbying controls and punitive measures against tax avoidance by large corporations and multi-national organizations, as well as promotion of smaller enterprises. It also included revoking or curtailing the Treaty of Lisbon, abandoning the memorandum of understanding, withdrawing from some free-trade area agreements, and promoting referendum on any major constitutional reform. On environmentalism, it advocated reduction of fossil fuel consumption, promotion of public transport and renewable energy initiatives, reduction of industrial cash crop agriculture, and stimulating local food production by small and medium enterprises.[52] The PCE is the main member of the United Left. In its statutes, the PCE defines its goals as "democratically participate in a revolutionary transformation of society and its political structures, overcoming the capitalist system and constructing socialism in the Spanish State, as a contribution to the transition to socialism worldwide, with our goals set in the realization of the emancipating ideal of communism".[53]

In 2021, Unidas Podemos supported a motion by Más País to legalise the recreational use of cannabis in Spain.[54]

Electoral performance

Cortes Generales

Cortes Generales
Election Leading candidate Congress Senate Government
Votes  % Seats +/– Seats +/–
2016 Pablo Iglesias 5,087,538 21.15 (#3)
71 / 350
 0[lower-alpha 1]
16 / 208
 0[lower-alpha 1] Opposition
Apr. 2019 3,751,145 14.32 (#4)
42 / 350
 29
0 / 208
 16 Snap election
Nov. 2019 3,119,364 12.86 (#4)
35 / 350
 7
0 / 208
 0 Coalition

European Parliament

European Parliament
Election Leading candidate Votes  % Seats +/–
2019 María Eugenia Rodríguez Palop 2,258,857 10.07 (#4)
6 / 59
 5[lower-alpha 2]

Regional parliaments

Region Election Votes  % Seats +/– Government
Balearic Islands 2019 41,824 9.74 (#4)
6 / 59
 4 Coalition
2023 19,632 4.40 (#5)
1 / 59
 5 Opposition
Castile and León 2022 62,138 5.11 (#4)
1 / 81
 1 Opposition
Castilla–La Mancha 2019 74,372 6.92 (#5)
0 / 33
 2 No seats
2023 44,462 4.14 (#4)
0 / 33
 Steady No seats
Extremadura 2019 44,309 7.20 (#4)
4 / 65
 2 Opposition
2023 36,373 5.99 (#4)
4 / 65
 Steady Opposition
La Rioja 2019 10,844 6.65 (#4)
2 / 33
 2 Coalition
2023 8,457 5.1 (#4)
2 / 33
 Steady Opposition
Madrid 2019 181,231 5.6 (#6)
7 / 132
 20 Opposition
2021 263,871 7.24 (#5)
10 / 136
 3 Opposition
2023 158,831 4.74 (#5)
0 / 135
 10 No seats
Valencian Community 2019 215,392 8.10 (#6)
8 / 99
 5 Coalition
2023 85,571 3.55 (#5)
0 / 99
 8 No seats

Results timeline

Year Spain
ES		 European Union
EU		 Andalusia
AN		 Aragon
AR		 Asturias
AS		 Canary Islands
CN		 Cantabria
CB		 Castilla–La Mancha
CM		 Castile and León
CL		 Catalonia
CT		 Ceuta
CE		 Extremadura
EX		 Galicia (Spain)
GL		 Balearic Islands
IB
RI		 Community of Madrid
MD		 Melilla
ML		 Region of Murcia
MC		 Navarre
NC		 Basque Country (autonomous community)
PV		 Valencian Community
CV
2016 21.2 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 19.1 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 14.8 N/A
2017 7.5
2018 16.2
2019 14.3 10.1 6.9 1.5 7.2 9.7 6.7 5.6 1.2 8.1
12.9           
2020 3.9 8.1
2021    6.9 7.2
2022 7.7 5.1
2023 N/A 3.9 4.1 4.1 N/A 6.0 4.4 5.1 4.8 N/A 4.7 6.1 3.6
Year Spain
ES		 European Union
EU		 Andalusia
AN		 Aragon
AR		 Asturias
AS		 Canary Islands
CN		 Cantabria
CB		 Castilla–La Mancha
CM		 Castile and León
CL		 Catalonia
CT		 Ceuta
CE		 Extremadura
EX		 Galicia (Spain)
GL		 Balearic Islands
IB
RI		 Community of Madrid
MD		 Melilla
ML		 Region of Murcia
MC		 Navarre
NC		 Basque Country (autonomous community)
PV		 Valencian Community
CV

Bold indicates best result to date.
  Present in legislature (in opposition)
  Junior coalition partner
  Senior coalition partner

Symbols

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Unidas Podemos.

Notes

  1. 1 2 Compared to the combined totals for Podemos–ECP–És el moment–En Marea and IU–UPeC in the 2015 general election.
  2. ↑ Compared to the combined totals for IP and Podemos in the 2014 EP election.

References

  1. 1 2 "Unidas Podemos, primer partido abiertamente republicano que llega al Gobierno y que no es firmante del Pacto Antiterrorista".
  2. 1 2 "Unidos Podemos, el nombre de la coalición de Podemos e IU". El País (in Spanish). 13 May 2016. Retrieved 13 May 2016.
  3. ↑ Nordsieck, Wolfram (2019). "Spain". Parties and Elections in Europe. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  4. ↑ Wittenberg, Daniel (28 April 2019). "Spain election: Ruling socialist party wins most seats but will need to form coalition". The Independent. Barcelona. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  5. ↑ Martinez, Marta (30 April 2019). "What are the possible coalitions in Spain after the elections?". Euronews. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  6. ↑ "Spain's Podemos says no talks on government now, cannot support Sanchez". Reuters. 2019-07-25. Retrieved 2021-10-25.
  7. ↑ "Spain's Socialists, far-left Podemos agree to form govt". France 24. 2019-11-12. Retrieved 2021-10-25.
  8. ↑ "Spain's Socialists and Podemos reach preliminary coalition deal". CNBC. 2019-11-12. Retrieved 2021-10-25.
  9. ↑ "Podemos e IU revalidan su acuerdo para las generales y europeas". El País (in Spanish). 27 February 2019. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  10. ↑ "Podemos y Equo reeditan su alianza en busca del voto verde y joven". El País (in Spanish). 12 March 2019. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  11. ↑ Jones, Sam; Burgen, Stephen (25 May 2019). "Spanish socialists aim to consolidate general election win". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  12. 1 2 Nordsieck, Wolfram (2019). "Spain". Parties and Elections in Europe. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
  13. ↑ Villarejo, Carlos Jiménez; Jané, Francesc Trillas (11 August 2015). "El federalismo de Podemos". El País.
  14. ↑ "Factbox: Major measures agreed by Spain's new ruling coalition". Reuters. Madrid. 7 January 2020. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  15. ↑ "Spain adopts legislation to curb sexual assaults and gender violence". Euractiv. 4 March 2020. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  16. ↑ Keeley, Graham (16 March 2020). "Spain's King Felipe docks father's allowance over Saudi scandal". Al Jazeera. Madrid. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  17. ↑ "Podemos, IU, Equo and municipal candidacies' members join a citizen platform for the confluence ahead of the general election". eldiario.es (in Spanish). 2015-07-08.
  18. ↑ "Podemos' sectors close the door to the confluence with IU after the 27-S failure". eldiario.es (in Spanish). 2015-09-29.
  19. ↑ "Now in Common changes its name to Popular Unity". El País (in Spanish). 2015-10-22.
  20. ↑ "Podemos and IU finalize a pact to concur together if there is a new election". El Periódico (in Spanish). 2016-04-20.
  21. ↑ "Podemos and IU advance towards a pact to overcome the PSOE on 26-J". La Razón (in Spanish). 2016-04-24.
  22. ↑ "Podemos opens itself to negotiate a statewide agreement with IU". eldiario.es (in Spanish). 2016-04-20.
  23. ↑ "José Sacristán, Coque Malla, Mario Gas and other artists demand IU and Podemos to join for the next election". El Mundo (in Spanish). 2016-04-25.
  24. ↑ "Llamazares votará 'no' al pacto de IU y Podemos: 'El diablo está en los detalles'" [Llamazares will vote 'No' to the IU and Podemos pact: 'The Devil is within the details'] (in Spanish). lainformacion.com. 2016-05-09. Archived from the original on 2016-06-19.
  25. ↑ "Monedero insists on the Podemos En Común formula and believes Garzón will not have IU's identity prevail over what people ask". eldiario.es (in Spanish). 2016-04-21.
  26. ↑ "Colau pushes Podemos to run in coalition with United Left". El Mundo (in Spanish). 2016-04-12.
  27. ↑ "Oltra, supportive of the confluence between Podemos and IU to "make every vote count"" (in Spanish). Europa Press. 2016-04-12.
  28. ↑ "Podemos and IU acknowledge that they have differences over "important points" but commit to keep talking". eldiario.es (in Spanish). 2016-04-30.
  29. ↑ "IU's question to its membership: "Do you approve of an electoral coalition with Podemos other forces?"". eldiario.es (in Spanish). 2016-04-29.
  30. ↑ "IU membership approves an electoral coalition with Podemos". El País (in Spanish). 2016-05-05.
  31. ↑ "Podemos and IU start working in a joint manifesto". El País (in Spanish). 2016-05-04.
  32. ↑ "Podemos and IU negotiate against time a left pact for 26-J". El Mundo (in Spanish). 2016-05-04.
  33. ↑ "Garzón says the alliance between Podemos and IU could fight for top on 26-J". Público (in Spanish). 2016-05-04.
  34. ↑ "Podemos and IU will formalize their alliance on 15-M during a first campaign rally". La Razón (in Spanish). 2016-05-04.
  35. ↑ "Podemos and IU seal alliance to run together in the election". El País (in Spanish). 2016-05-09.
  36. ↑ "Podemos and IU reach accord to concur together in the 26-J election". eldiario.es (in Spanish). 2016-05-09.
  37. ↑ "Iglesias and Garzón announce their pact through a hug at Puerta del Sol, landmark of the 15-M" (in Spanish). Yahoo Noticias. 2016-05-09.
  38. ↑ "IU will ask its membership again on the alliance with Podemos". eldiario.es (in Spanish). 2016-05-07.
  39. ↑ Equo (2016-05-10). "Equo will contest the 26-J election in coalition with Podemos and United Left" (in Spanish). Retrieved 2016-05-16.
  40. ↑ "IU membership support by 87.8% the coalition with Podemos". El Mundo (in Spanish). 2016-05-12.
  41. ↑ "Podemos membership support by 98% the alliance with IU". El Mundo (in Spanish). 2016-05-12.
  42. ↑ "Equo's membership support contesting the 26-J in coalition with Podemos". eldiario.es (in Spanish). 2016-05-04.
  43. ↑ "Més "welcomes" Podemos to form a grand coalition of the left" (in Spanish). Diario de Mallorca. 2016-04-27.
  44. ↑ "Podemos and Més agree. List's number 3 will be for Més" (in Spanish). ciutat.es. 2016-05-13.
  45. ↑ "Més Assembly accepts running with Podemos in the election" (in Spanish). Diario de Mallorca. 2016-05-13.
  46. ↑ "94% of Batzarre membership supports joining Podemos and IUN" (in Spanish). Navarra.com. 2016-05-11.
  47. ↑ "The For a Fairer World party joins the Podemos–IU alliance". eldiario.es (in Spanish). 2016-05-11.
  48. ↑ "Zaragoza in Common ratifies joining the coalition between Podemos and United Left" (in Spanish). Heraldo. 2016-05-12.
  49. ↑ Marcos, José (26 May 2018). "Unidas Podemos cambiar Europa, el nombre para las europeas de la candidatura del partido de Iglesias". El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 May 2018.
  50. ↑ ACN, Newsdesk / (2019-04-26). "General Election focus: the Podemos party". Spain in English. Retrieved 2021-10-25.
  51. ↑ "ICPS" (PDF). www.icps.cat (in Catalan). Retrieved 2021-10-25.
  52. ↑ "Documento final del programa colaborativo" [Final Document of the Collaborative Programme] (PDF). Podemos (in Spanish). May 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 May 2014. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
  53. ↑ "Estatutos del Partido Comunista de España" (PDF) (in Spanish). Communist Party of Spain. 30 January 2014. p. 1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 April 2017. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  54. ↑ "What's the law on cannabis in Spain?". The Local (Spain edition). 29 April 2022. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
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