Left Behind: The Dispute Between Podemos and Sumar

If there's one thing the Spanish left has always suffered from, it's a lack of unity. This is currently evident in the dispute between the two political forces to the left of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE). Podemos and Sumar have publicly expressed their differences, which appear irreconcilable for electoral purposes at least. Both political movements had run on a joint list (with their differences already marked) led by Sumar and composed of other minority left-wing parties. This alliance came in fourth place in the 2023 general elections. Sumar managed to consolidate itself with much fragility, thus being able to enter as a minority partner in the current Pedro Sánchez government. However, Podemos soon distanced itself from Sumar and has openly challenged the latter's position in what appears to be a pitched battle for the hard-left vote in future elections.

Both parties find themselves in a difficult situation. The splitting of the left-wing vote weakens their electoral standing at the national level. This benefits both the PSOE and the forces on the other side of the political spectrum, the Popular Party (PP) and VOX, without neglecting the regionalist forces aligned with the left. The crisis facing each party becomes more severe considering the factors surrounding this dispute. Podemos, which emerged a little over a decade ago as a disruptive political force that shook up Spain's traditional two-party system and strongly challenged the PSOE from the left, is desperate to regain relevance. Sumar, on the other hand, aspires to avoid collapse after being formed in 2023 with very delicate pacts and alliances that had the common goal of becoming a solid alternative to the far-right VOX, the party that is currently the third-largest political force in Spain.

These two political parties seem so caught up in their media battle that they seem unable to learn from the mistakes of other parties in the past. The most obvious case is that of the centrist Ciudadanos party, which, just like in the myth of Icarus, its arrogance ultimately cost it its life, in this case a political one. The most harmful aspect of this conflict clearly stems from a battle of egos between the leaders of both parties: Yolanda Díaz, who currently serves as Second Vice President of the Government and was a Sumar candidate in 2023, and Irene Montero, current Secretary of Podemos and member of the European Parliament.

Adding to this problem is the fact that both parties are clearly buckling under the weight of their mutual animosity. Sumar has proven to be a weak player on the Spanish political scene, incapable of displaying consistency and strength in its electoral performance. Podemos has made it clear that it has become a toxic political force that thrives on political backlash and back-and-forth. With this, both parties have ceased to be viable alternatives for a profound change in Spanish politics from the left. The days of both parties could be numbered.

Faced with this, it is impossible to foresee what will become of this political space in the near future, with the absence of new leadership and solid strategies to prevent the collapse of the Spanish left. Both Sumar and Podemos have failed to communicate their message well, and the bickering between the two blocs is a symptom of the political stagnation this space faces with the imposition of stale and rancorous personalisms. The worst part is that both parties have proven unfit to govern, demonstrating once again that the populist and demagogic rhetoric of the ideological extremes resolves nothing once they come to power.

The fighting between Podemos and Sumar reflects a broader crisis within the Spanish hard and radical left: the inability to evolve beyond populist protest into sustainable governance. Lacking ideological renewal and organisational discipline, these parties are often reduced to vehicles of personalism, unable to resist fragmentation once power is at stake. In the end they drown within their own egos.

Spain deserves better than this. These political squabbles bring nothing new to the table and only highlight the persistent flaws in the leadership to the left of the PSOE, making it difficult to view them as serious alternatives to the traditional parties. There is no clear solution to this conflict, and as is often the case in politics, things will only come into focus once an election is near. Ultimately, the Spanish people will determine the future of these two parties, potentially giving both, or neither, a second chance.

As long as infighting outweighs ideas, the alternative left will remain stuck in irrelevance. If Podemos and Sumar cannot rise above personal ambition and internal grudges, they won’t need an external rival to bring them down, they will collapse under the weight of their own contradictions.

Illustration by Will Allen/Europinion