The campaign for the Andalusian elections on May 17 has kicked off with an uncomfortable photograph for the alternative left. Podemos has finally integrated into Por Andalucía, but its two best-known leaders, Ione Belarra and Irene Montero, have not yet confirmed if they will share the stage with the coalition's candidate, Antonio Maíllo, nor with the ministers linked to the Sumar space who will have a prominent presence during the campaign.
Belarra has assured in Congress that both she and Montero will campaign in Andalusia, but has avoided specifying the format, dates, and whether they will be with Maíllo. The general secretary of Podemos has defended that her party will participate “normally” in the campaign with the objective of stopping the president of the Junta, Juanma Moreno, although she has not cleared up the central political doubt: whether Podemos will be involved in the common campaign or maintain a differentiated presence.
We can is inside, but Belarra and Montero mark distance
The situation has a political charge because Podemos reached the agreement with Por Andalucía after months of internal tension in the space to the left of the PSOE. The integration was closed in the final stretch of negotiations and with little room to alter the design of the lists, which left visible wounds within the bloc.
Now, with the campaign already underway, the gesture by Belarra and Montero is interpreted as a way to maintain their own profile. They are not breaking the coalition, but they are also not diluting themselves within it. The difference is fine, but important: Podemos participates, yes; what is not clear is whether it wants to appear fully aligned with Maíllo's platform.
That nuance can have an impact on a campaign in which every image counts. For Por Andalucía, showing unity is key to not losing strength against PSOE, PP, Vox, and Adelante Andalucía. For Podemos, preserving identity is also key, especially after having ended up in a less dominant position within the candidacy.
Maíllo will indeed have the support of Yolanda Díaz and several ministers
While Podemos doses its public involvement, the space of Sumar and Izquierda Unida has indeed designed a campaign of strong support for Maíllo. The coalition will count on the participation of four ministers: Yolanda Díaz, second vice president and minister of Labor; Pablo Bustinduy, minister of Social Rights; Sira Rego, minister of Youth and Childhood; and Ernest Urtasun, minister of Culture.
The presence of Díaz has special symbolic value. The vice president participates this May 1st in Malaga, where the central demonstration for Worker's Day and the first day of the Andalusian electoral campaign coincide. Maíllo and the socialist candidate, María Jesús Montero, are also scheduled to attend that event, on a day that turns Malaga into one of the main political stages for the electoral start.
The agenda of Por Andalucía also includes leaders from IU and Sumar in different territories. The idea is to cover the community with a street campaign, supported by national names and the message of defense of healthcare, education, and public services.
The underlying problem: the alternative left arrives divided to 17M
The Belarra-Montero case is not just a matter of agenda. It is the symptom of an alternative left that arrives at the Andalusian elections with formal unity, but without a fully cohesive image. Por Andalucía integrates several forces, but the balance between IU, Sumar, Podemos, and other actors remains delicate.
Maíllo has kicked off the campaign in Seville by calling for the mobilization of the left to "pull off a surprise" and avoid an absolute majority for the PP. His speech has focused on safeguarding public healthcare and education, eliminating contracts with private hospitals, strengthening primary care, and challenging Juanma Moreno's management framework.
The candidate needs the coalition to appear as a useful and orderly tool. Any sign of distance between Podemos and the rest of the space can feed the opposite idea: that the left to the left of the PSOE continues to drag its internal fractures just when it needs to concentrate votes.
Belarra avoids the photo op with Sumar ministers
One of the most delicate points is whether Belarra and Montero will share events with the ministers from Sumar. The general secretary of Podemos has not clarified it. This lack of specificity allows Podemos to campaign without giving an image of complete normalization with Yolanda Díaz and her political space.
The data matters because the relationship between Podemos and Sumar has been marked by clashes, electoral competition, and leadership disputes. In Andalusia, that tension is encapsulated in a very simple question: will there be a joint photo of Belarra, Montero, Maíllo, and the Sumar ministers?
Andalusia measures the real strength of Podemos again
The Andalusian elections will also be a test for Podemos. The purple party no longer occupies the central place it had in other political cycles and needs to demonstrate that it retains territorial mobilization capacity, especially in a community where the alternative left competes with several actors and where the PP starts with an advantage in the polls.
Belarra and Montero can bring notoriety, militancy, and media noise. But they can also strain the campaign if their presence is perceived as a parallel campaign or as conditional support. That is the balance that Podemos will have to manage in the coming days.