The open secret found public expression in the words of Pablo Iglesias, the founder who clarified that the purple formation will separate itself. He asserted that he remains the main ally of Pedro Sánchez’s government and that his deputies will act freely in Congress. Iglesias blamed both President Sánchez and left-wing coalition leader Yolanda Díaz for this decision.
The impact of this split is considerable in the Valencian Community. Within Podemos, differences among leaders became evident after Pilar Lima’s resignation and the push to organize a parliament where the movement and its positions, accelerated after the poor showing in the 28M municipal and regional elections, would be renewed. Compromís, observing from a distance, advocates avoiding external noise at the start of the new legislature and wants the focus to stay on the Valencian agenda: financing, debt, and pending investments.
In the Valencian Community, Podemos faces such deep divisions that a group of about sixty militants has begun proceedings to secure 20 percent grassroots approval, enough to convene a parliamentary session. They attribute the unrest to the dismissal of the manager who led the Valencia core after Lima’s resignation. Ione Belarra has been inactive for five months and did not back the renewal process. Key figures in this managerial faction include María Teresa Pérez, Carles Fons, and Pau Vivas.
Podemos calls for the veto to be corrected on its inclusion in the government while maintaining support for Sánchez’s appointment
Apart from the internal conflict over organic renewal, disagreements between Podemos factions also surface over supporting the departure of Sumar, a move Iglesias publicly endorsed. The leadership views it with optimism. “It was a mistake to exclude Podemos from the Government. We are moving toward an administration dominated by Sánchez. It is well understood how difficult it is to push PSOE toward deep, ambitious changes,” says María Teresa Pérez. The militant group seeking 20 percent of signatures, including Compromís, stresses the importance of PSOE presenting unity and advancing social transformation as a bulwark of the left against the right and Izquierda Unida, among others.
The Valencian coalition watches from a distance the rupture between Sumar and Podemos and the broader party itself, while Valencian society observes the internal rift among the purple movement. Compromís insists that the noise from these party conflicts is unnecessary at a time when the legislature is starting up and public tension runs high, especially due to pressure from far-right protests at the PSOE headquarters following the amnesty debates.
In the national investment debate in Congress, Alberto Ibáñez, one of Sumar’s four Valencian MPs, alongside Txema Guijarro, Àgueda Micó, and Nahuel González, remarks that the crucial task is to counter the far right by focusing on public policies, not internal quarrels. He notes a plural government that is aware of local realities in Alicante and Valencia. The priority is to address concrete issues such as cruise passengers and tourist charters, he says.
Although the internal motto Commitments To stay in profile in the dispute between Sumar and Podemos remains constant, accusations fly from different parts of the coalition. This year’s electoral outcomes have damaged Podemos’s perceived legitimacy, and their absence of a third party is seen by some as a major factor in the current dynamics. The dialogue around these issues reflects the broader tensions and strategic calculations shaping the Valencian political scene.