‘En Comú Podem’, winning alliance in Catalonia in the Spanish Elections, won’t have its own group in the Spanish Parliament

Barcelona (CNA).- Alternative left alliance ‘En Comú Podem’, which won the last Spanish Elections in Catalonia obtaining 12 MPs in the 350-seat Spanish Parliament, won’t have its own political group in the Spanish Chamber. ‘En Comú Podem’ will instead be inscribed within the ‘Unidos-Podemos’ Confederal Group, their partner in Spain. On the other hand, the other two partners of ‘Unidos Podemos’ in Valencian Community and Galicia, ‘Compromís’ and ‘En Marea’, will seek to have their own group in the Spanish Chamber. ‘En Comú Podem’ gathers together members from Catalan Green-Socialist party ICV, the Catalan branch of the Spanish party ‘Podemos’ and representatives from the 'En Comú' candidacies, which won significant mayoralties in the last local elections, for example that of Barcelona, with social activist and now Barcelona mayor Ada Colau as its strongest asset. 

Sources in ‘En Comú Podem’ told the CNA that they refused to register the parliamentary group in case ‘En Comú Podem’s leader, Xavier Domenèch, will not be able to become parliamentary spokesman. According to the regulations, those parties which don’t have their own parliamentary group must be inscribed in the ‘mixed group’, made of minority parties, or in a group which is already constituted, which is the case of ‘Unidos Podemos’. Thus, ‘En Comú Podem’ will be forced to inscribe within ‘Unidos Podemos’ once the spokesperson roles are decided.

Moreover, the same sources explained that they held meetings with current governing party in Spain, the Conservative People’s Party (PP), and the Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE) and both parties told them that they won’t support the constitution of ‘En Comú Podem’s parliamentary group.

Within the ‘Unidos Podemos’ group, Xavier Domènech will be deputy spokesman and will be able to attend the Spokespersons Bureau and give press conferences. ‘En Comú Podem’ and ‘Podemos’ have also divided up their speaking time and their questions to the Spanish President.

Albano-Dante Fachín elected leader of ‘Podem Catalunya’

‘Podem Catalunya’, the Catalan branch of alternative left ‘Podemos’ have elected this Tuesday their new General Secretary. Albano-Dante Fachín obtained 42% of votes in the primary elections, which represent 2,453 votes. Fachín stated that “‘Podemos Catalunya’ aim to win the next elections in Catalonia” and that the possibility of holding a unilateral referendum on independence “should be discussed”.