With all tickets sold out for days, the spokesperson for Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya in Congress, Gabriel Rufián, and the former Minister of Equality and Podemos MEP, Irene Montero, star this Thursday in Barcelona in a political event that seeks to open a strategic debate on the future of forces to the left of the PSOE.
The event, titled “What needs to be done?” (“What must be done?”), will start at 19 hours and will feature the participation of former 'comunes' leader Xavier Domènech as moderator. As foreseen by the organization, the event can be followed via streaming through the digital channels enabled by the conveners, in line with other recent meetings of this format.
Call for the coordination of the space to the left of the PSOE
The initiative is part of a strategy driven by Rufián in recent months to challenge the entire progressive alternative political space, in a context of fragmentation among projects such as Sumar, United Left or Podemos itself.
The stated objective is to explore avenues of electoral cooperation or coordination that allow to maximize results against the right-wing bloc, led by Partido Popular and Vox, given an electoral horizon marked by uncertainty.
The political photo, key of the event
Beyond the content of the debate, the political focus will be on which leaders decide to attend the meeting. The attendance —or absence— of representatives from Sumar, IU or territorial forces such as ERC or Bildu will be read as an indicator of the degree of closeness or distance within the space.
The act does not seek to formalize a joint candidacy in the short term, but to open a public dialogue process that allows testing positions and measuring strengths.
Continuity of a strategy of Rufián
The event in Barcelona is not an isolated movement. It is part of a series of initiatives promoted by Rufián since the beginning of the year to discursively rearm the alternative left and promote a shared strategic reflection.
Montero's participation reinforces the political weight of the meeting and evidences the interest of Podemos in returning to place itself at the center of the debate on the unity of this space.
An open debate with an electoral view
Although without concrete announcements planned, the colloquium takes place at a key moment, against the backdrop of a possible advancement or reconfiguration of the electoral calendar and the sustained advance of the right in various polls.
The result of the event —in terms of discourse, attendees, and subsequent reactions— will be observed as a first test on the viability of a recomposition of the left to the left of the PSOE in Spain.