Movimiento Sumar has renewed its leadership this Sunday with the election of Verónica Martínez Barbero and Rosa Martínez as the party's new coordinators. The joint candidacy, the only one presented at the extraordinary assembly, received the support of 95.92% of the votes cast.
The two leaders take over from Lara Hernández, who left the leadership after denouncing a smear campaign related to an internal investigation into an alleged case of workplace harassment.
Who are the new coordinators
Verónica Martínez Barbero is the spokesperson for Sumar's parliamentary group in Congress, while Rosa Martínez holds the Secretary of State for Social Rights position.
Both have defended during the assembly the need to strengthen the internal organization and face a new stage to consolidate the political project after the tensions experienced in recent months.
Yolanda Díaz is out of the leadership
The second vice-president of the Government and Minister of Labor, Yolanda Díaz, will not be part of the new organic leadership of Movimiento Sumar.
Although she maintains her responsibilities in the Executive, her departure from the party structure consolidates the step back she initiated after the 2024 European elections. Díaz had already resigned from the organic leadership and has announced her intention to leave politics at the end of the legislature.
For his part, the Minister of Culture, Ernest Urtasun, will continue to be integrated into the new leadership and will continue to play a relevant role as the party's spokesperson.
New bodies and upcoming challenges
The assembly also approved the creation of a Territorial Council to strengthen coordination between the state leadership and regional organizations, as well as the launch of a youth organization.
The new leadership's main challenge will be to rebuild the political space to the left of the PSOE and negotiate a joint candidacy with parties such as Izquierda Unida, Catalunya en Comú, Más Madrid, and other coalition partners.
Furthermore, the new coordinators will have to face the debate on Sumar's future electoral leadership, in a context marked by Yolanda Díaz's future departure and competition with Podemos within the same political space.