A new problem in the delicate territorial health of Podemos. The former purple deputy Alberto Rodríguez, once number three in the formation, has announced his intention to lead a new “self-centered” political project in the Canary Islands with which to run for elections in 2023.
Rodríguez lost his seat in October of last year after being sentenced by the Supreme Court for the crime of attacking law enforcement officials. It was then that he resigned from Podemos and requested his reinstatement as an industrial worker in the Canary Islands, although since then he had kept the door open to being part of a political project again: “It’s not goodbye; it’s a see you later,” he said then. .
Since its release, the purple formation in the archipelago has been going through a turbulent period. As a sign of protest, none of Rodríguez’s substitutes accepted to occupy his position in Congress and, to date, Rodríguez’s seat remains empty, which is a problem for the coalition government in the face of tight parliamentary votes, as already seen in the Labor Reform or the Housing Law, among others.
On the other hand, at the end of March the Canarian delegation of Podemos fractured after the departure of the national deputy Meri Pita to the Mixed Group of Congress. After her, a dozen island officials supported him by denouncing the “organizational sclerosis” of Podemos and the lack of dialogue with the national leadership, which they criticized for the unilateral direction of the decisions made without taking into account the voice of the territories.
This, now, is the great challenge that Rodríguez will take on. “It is a long-distance road”, he defined through a statement published on his social networks. “But what is more exciting than betting on a Canary Islands full of dignity, opportunities and self-esteem? Sustainability to defend the territory, transformation productive to live with dignity. Self-referenced governance model to make decisions here. From the Canary Islands to the Canary Islands. See you soon”.
The news that arrives from the archipelago further complicates the unstable territorial situation of Podemos. In recent months, the party has suffered electoral setbacks in Madrid and Castilla y León, accusations of rigging in Asturias, decomposition in the Valencian Community and was almost left out of the Andalusian elections after not appearing as a brand in the list of candidates.
Everything, before the imminent launch of the process that Yolanda Díaz plans to lead to overcome United We Can. Its platform, in addition to having a high role of civil society, will seek to decentralize itself and rely on prominent peripheral leaders, such as Mónica Oltra or Ada Colau. The role of formations at the regional level, therefore, will be decisive in shaping the broad front of the vice president, who announced this Thursday that she will start her listening phase with citizens on July 8 in Madrid.
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