Madrid, 7 November 2026 — Irene Montero (Podemos) and Gabriel Rufián (Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya) called for people to take part in the strike and protests announced for Espacio Delicias in Madrid at a joint appearance at 11 November 2026 Montero called for people to “fill the streets and paralyse the country” that day, to generate political pressure for measures to tackle high rents and rising food and energy costs. Rufián stressed that the participating groups wanted to act as an independent left-wing force and not be subordinate to the PSOE .
The joint event was the two politicians’ second major appearance together in this election campaign, following an event in October in Barcelona’s Nou Barris district. In Madrid, they focused primarily on social issues. Rufián said the aim was a left that set the agenda rather than being driven by the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party. Montero made her support for future governing majorities conditional on policy commitments, including measures to curb rents, make basic foodstuffs cheaper and tackle rising energy prices.
The mobilisation follows work stoppages and rallies announced for Wednesday, 11 November 2026, supported by several trade union and social platforms. The scale and impact of the actions cannot be reliably estimated in advance and will depend on participation by larger sections of the workforce and the approach taken by major trade unions. Authorities point to the minimum service requirements routinely applied in Spain during strikes in critical sectors; relevant notices are published in the Boletín Oficial del Estado.
The phrase “paralyse the country” is the speaker’s political hyperbole, not an official description. As of the evening of 7 November, specific disruption to transport, supplies or public services could not be predicted and will only be possible to assess reliably on the day of the action. Politically, Podemos and Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya are seeking to build their profile among left-wing voters. Both stress that they do not want to be seen as mere kingmakers for the PSOE.
All information is based on consistent reports from Spain dated 7 November 2026 and official notices published up to that date.
Editor: Phillipe Schmidt-Araguin (Article created with AI assistance).