Following a setback last weekend in the Galician territory where the party failed to secure seats in the regional parliament, Sumar continues advancing its plan to establish a formal structure in the province of Alicante. The Yolanda Díaz-led platform held an inaugural event in the capital on December 16 to begin building its organic base in the province and across the Valencian Community. Four additional gatherings are planned, featuring Txema Guijarro, a member of the national Congress. These meetings start this week with a first session scheduled for Saturday at the Casal Jaume I in Elche. The following week, on Friday the 1st, the venue will be the Alicante union headquarters. The final two sessions will then take place at Verdes de Europa in Villena and at Cambiemos Orihuela in the Vega Baja capital, respectively.
These debates are designed to examine the organizational documents for the federal assembly of Yolanda Díaz’s platform, set to convene on March 23. Alicante-based sources affiliated with the project describe the goal as activating a political space they claim as distinctly theirs and gathering proposals from across territories to be shared, refined, and implemented. The scheduling for the first Sumar assembly began earlier, with document releases on the 8th, and territorial and sectoral debate meetings projected to run through March 9. Candidacies may be submitted until March 3, and the final candidate lists are expected to be published on March 12. The broader aim is to translate localized input into a cohesive regional framework that can be presented at the federal gathering and, ultimately, influence policy directions in the Valencian Community and beyond. The process emphasizes inclusivity, transparency, and the creation of a robust organizational spine capable of sustaining a national discourse at the municipal and provincial levels, while remaining responsive to the needs and voices of residents across Alicante and neighboring areas. The conversations reflect a broader strategic effort to expand Sumar’s footprint in key autonomous communities where regional dynamics, labor organizations, and social movements intersect with national political ambitions. [Source: Alicante regional press coverage, 2024]