The new left-wing alliance Frente Amplio on 5 October 2026 rejected the timetable proposed by Podemos for open primaries (primarias) on 14 and 15 October and instead called for direct negotiations. “We are not going to have this debate through the media. If someone wants to make a proposal, there’s a seat here,” said Culture Minister Ernest Urtasun. Any agreement would require Podemos to join the alliance already being built, sources close to Frente Amplio said.
Podemos had previously called for the lists to be decided through open primaries. Party representative Irene Montero argued that this was the only way to secure candidates with broad support. Frente Amplio, which emerged from the previous platform Sumar is sticking to its own timetable. According to alliance sources, the lead candidate is to be decided “in the coming days”; internal plans envisage an 17 October for the official presentation. Several media outlets reported this date independently on Monday.
A possible candidate is Mónica García . The regional politician left open whether she would stand, saying she was ready to “do what is necessary” if the forces involved nominated her. According to the parties involved, the decision rests with the new alliance and the procedures established within it. There is no reliable evidence that a final decision has already been made.
The dispute centres primarily on the process and timing: Podemos is pushing for open primaries at short notice, while Frente Amplio is seeking calm in its internal discussions and unity ahead of the statutory deadlines for registering electoral alliances. Urtasun’s invitation to Podemos (“there’s a seat here”) signals a willingness to talk, but not a departure from the condition that candidacies be agreed within the emerging alliance.
Politically, the dispute marks a renewed distinction between Podemos and the expanded Sumar circle, which aims to bring together a broader grouping of left-wing forces in Spain under the name Frente Amplio. The impact of the contest over process and branding on mobilisation and the eventual formation of lists remains unclear. For now, the positions are clear: Podemos is calling for open primaries on 14 and 15 October, while Frente Amplio is seeking agreement within the alliance and an announcement of the lead candidate by 17 October.
Editor: Phillipe Schmidt-Araguin (Article created with AI assistance).