Alberto Garzón, former minister of consumption and federal coordinator of Izquierda Unida until last December, is preparing to join Acento, the consulting firm specializing in public affairs founded by former socialist leader José Blanco and headed by former popular minister Alfonso Alonso. According to El Confidencial and sources close to the former IU boss, they confirm to EL PAÍS that the economist will take the lead in the company's future geopolitical planning. His signing requires only approval from the government's Conflict of Interest Office, an approval required to practice in private establishments in the two years after he leaves office.
In the middle of the negotiations to form the Sumar lists, Garzón announced in June 2023 that he would not participate again, in this case in the coalition led by Díaz, thus beginning a process of withdrawal from the first political line that he carried out in two phases. Having reached the House of Representatives a few months earlier at the end of 2011, fueled by the 15M protests, the then minister justified his departure with the need for “new profiles” to represent the left space in the next phase. The then-parliamentarian succeeded Cayo Lara at the helm of the organization in June 2016, but had previously run for the presidency of the government on a list independent of Podemos.
It was in November last year when he informed the militancy in a letter of his decision to take a final step back and resign as head of Izquierda Unida, just days before leaving the consumer department. “I will not only pass on the baton in the Council of Ministers, but also give up my responsibility as coordinator of Izquierda Unida. This is a very thoughtful decision and was part of the roadmap that I personally accepted a long time ago. “I have been waiting for this moment to reconcile my final decision with the change of political phase,” he explained in the letter.
The formation is now in a transitional situation until the Federal Assembly on May 18th and 19th, which will finalize its policy proposal and set a new direction for the next four years. One of the most popular names for his successor is the current Minister for Youth and Children, Sira Rego, previously number two at IU.
Just two months after leaving the leadership of the Izquierda Unida, in early February, Garzón published a video on social networks in which he declared that he would “fully” return to his professional activity in a few days. In addition to his regular contributions to ElDiario.es, the former minister announced that he would work in consulting firms, continue his doctoral work and also finish a new book on ecology, economics and science.
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