Frente Amplio has defended that it rushed all possible avenues to include Podemos in a state unity agreement ahead of the elections on November 29, and although it admits the "disappointment" that the breakup has generated, it has asked the left electorate to leave behind the lamentations and take on the slogan "No more drama".
That was the central message of the official event presenting the candidacy of Frente Amplio, a state-level coalition that groups together about fifteen leftist forces and is led by former mayor Ada Colau. The launch took place in the auditorium of the Lineal Park of the Manzanares, in Madrid.
Among the audience were the general secretary of CCOO, Unai Sordo, the Minister of Youth and Childhood, Sira Rego, and numerous leaders of the formations that make up this new political space.
Colau, who will lead the list for Barcelona and aspires to the Presidency, referred to the failure of the attempt to incorporate Podemos into the coalition, after no agreement was reached before this Friday's deadline for registering electoral alliances for November 29.
In her speech, she acknowledged that in recent days there were "difficult" moments and said she understands the disappointment over the absence of Podemos in Frente Amplio, but emphasized that they tried "until the last minute" and that without "giving up" they sought the agreement with "extreme generosity".
"A hand was extended. But if someone does not want to sit at a table, they cannot be forced. That is how it is," said the former mayor of Barcelona, who promised that this will be the "last time" she will be heard "talking about acronyms or parties".
Colau: "I am not going to desert"
Colau insisted that they are not going to "confuse adversaries" and that the priority now is to return the "protagonism to the people", in a context that she considers historic and in which, she pointed out, it is essential to "defeat" in the polls the "fascism". In her opinion, Frente Amplio is the tool that embodies the desire for unity of the citizenry and that awakens "hope" to defeat the right-wing.
The candidate defined herself as an "imperfect woman," with "contradictions," but guaranteed that, given the democratic urgency posed by the advance of the far right, "she is not going to desert and will lead this candidacy to "change the rules and advance the transformation agenda".
Furthermore, he marked distances with the PSOE and emphasized that Frente Amplio is a clearly differentiated project, which demands to be "much more courageous" in the institutions than the party of President Pedro Sánchez, whom he reproaches for limiting himself to appealing to the fear of Vox and managing social discontent.
"Not a bad word" towards Podemos and Irene Montero
When asked later about the criticisms launched this Saturday by the Podemos candidate and former minister Irene Montero, Colau avoided entering into confrontations with the purples. He reiterated that Frente Amplio is born with the "will of maximum agreement among forces" and that they offered Podemos "maximum generosity" in the negotiation.
"All possible efforts have been made and will continue to be made, and the hand will continue to be extended. We are going to stop talking about acronyms and, of course, you will not hear a bad word from me about other people from progressive formations," he emphasized.
Delgado: "the time to unite the parties has passed"
The idea of turning the page regarding the conversations with Podemos was reinforced by the head of the list for Madrid of Frente Amplio, Emilio Delgado, who summarized his message with a simple phrase in English: "no more drama".
He warned that there will be many interests that will try to keep the left trapped "with a foot stuck in the trap of the last week," clinging to the "nostalgia of what could have been and was not," when the social majority does not need more "soap operas or dramas".
"The time to unite the parties is over, it is time to unite the people, which is more important," emphasized the also leader of Más Madrid, making it clear that the failed attempt to add Podemos belongs to the past and that now they are addressing all leftist citizens, both those who maintain hope and those who are disappointed, to "fight to the death" for social justice.
Delgado, in a veiled message to both the 'purples' and the PSOE, stated that they leave others to "manage fear," indulge in "nostalgia," or "entertain themselves counting defeats."
Frente Amplio, with "head held high" and without "confusing loyalties"
The Minister of Social Rights, Pablo Bustinduy, encouraged the supporters of Frente Amplio by assuring that "no one surrenders here" and calling to fight for victory at the polls.
He claimed that this new political space keeps its "head held high," its "principles intact," and that it "has never confused loyalties or adversaries."
Bustinduy highlighted that Colau is the candidate who will defend the working class and also praised the role of the second vice president, Yolanda Díaz, before the employers. He emphasized that Díaz will not abandon the political front line after these elections and recalled that four years ago she led the Sumar candidacy.
The Minister of Culture, Ernest Urtasun, joined in the praise for Díaz's management and that of the other ministers from the minority wing of the Government, and assured that they will promote a new increase in the minimum interprofessional wage.
In his speech, he defended the need for a Broad Front that "speaks very clearly" to protect the public pension system against a right that, he said, is "directly aiming to destroy it" and that has "removed the mask" by adopting the "chainsaw program" of the Argentine president, Javier Milei.
He also guaranteed that from Catalonia there will be no shortage of votes to support Colau and replied to the leader of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, that, in his opinion, he is heading again to spend another four years in opposition.
"We do not come to administer resignation"
The co-general coordinator of Movimiento Sumar, Verónica Barbero, stated that the Broad Front "does not come to administer resignation but to change things," and maintained that they have already demonstrated in the Government that they aspire to more, pushing the main advances of the legislature.
She warned that Feijóo and the "leader of Feijóo," Santiago Abascal, would already be making "calculations" for their "cuts" and warned that, in the face of that threat, there is no room to "lower the arms but to stop them again" and "humiliate them" as they did four years ago, now with a Broad Front that is "a reality" and that explains why there are "so many."
Objective: to be "the key" to Government again
The main representative of IU in the coalition, Toni Valero, defended that the Broad Front must be up to the people who "fight for their rights" and that it is the "engine of change" in the Executive. He assured that they represent "useful politics" for the working class and that they are clear that the PSOE is not convinced, but rather forced to apply truly leftist policies.
In his opinion, the "worst news" for Feijóo and Abascal would be that the Broad Front achieves a "good result" on 29N and becomes "the key to the Government" again.
The president of the Chunta Aragonesista, Jorge Pueyo, also expressed his support for the Broad Front to stop the far-right in these elections.
Lastly, the Más Madrid deputy Tesh Sidi recalled that in Frente Amplio "not everyone is there," but emphasized that there are 15 organizations that have committed to ensuring that in these ballots there is "only one ballot" and that "no progressive vote is wasted in the trash."