Former deputy Conchi Abellán, 39, led Podem for the past three years and has become its longest-serving leader. As a member of the State Executive Board, he is running for re-election, for which Maria Pozuelo, head of the organization and number 8 for Barcelona on the 23rd, is also running. It has been a turbulent party since its founding in 2014 and is facing primaries after 13 party leaders were suspended for speaking out in favor of the Sumar deal. The crisis with the Commons erupted when they demanded the minutes from Lilith Verstrynge, the organizing secretary of Podemos, as she went to the Joint Group with the other four MPs. In the shadow of Ada Colau's “Catalunya en Comú”, which has reduced Podem to media insignificance, the spokesperson of the party, allied with Ione Belarra and Irene Montero and symbolically going to the European elections on its list, sets conditions for re-election . Comú Podem and emphasizes that Catalunya en Comú and Podem are different parties.
Questions. She presents herself again as coordinator. What do you expect after such turbulent years?
Answer. Strengthen the structure and defend Podem. We want to establish our own profile as a rebellious and demanding party that works with social groups and on the streets.
Q They have been in conflict for nine years and have no public relevance. Is it your fault or the public’s fault?
R. It was a turbulent start. In nine years we had five coordinators and three managers. With so many changes, it was difficult to decide the game. Catalonia needs a visible and critical platform. Our roadmap is clear: We want more autonomy and sovereignty over the commons and no double militancy.
Q The break between Sumar and Podemos has also affected En Comú Podem. Don't they meet with the common people at the community level?
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R. Since June 23, there has only been one meeting with Adrià Alemany and Candela López [miembro de la ejecutiva y coordinadora de los comunes] and apart from blaming each other, it didn't help much. Strategies must be developed together. You can't go alone. We've been saying it for a year. The people representing Podem in the regional councils and the AMB were elected by Catalunya en Comú. That can't happen. There were also differences of opinion during the vote: in Parliament we voted no to the referendum under the condition of investiture and could have abstained.
Since June 23, there has only been one meeting with Adrià Alemany and Candela López [miembro de la ejecutiva y coordinadora de los comunes] and apart from blaming each other, it didn't help much.
Q Is it a broken relationship between the two parties?
R. Neither broken nor not broken: it is a relationship that does not exist now. They use the networks separately and that is shameful. It seemed ugly and painful to me that they asked us for the Vestrynge protocol.
Q Will the bases determine community relations? In Galicia they said no to a list of Sumar. Is it foreplay?
R. We will make it clear in the document for these primaries. I defend that the alliances depend on the terms of the agreements and are ratified by the Podem bases. What happened in Galicia didn't surprise me: people are tired of sitting at the second table.
Q You said days ago that you cannot guarantee that you will go to the elections with the MPs. Is that so?
R. I continue on the same line. We will be in an alliance as long as we are respected as an organization, there are no vetoes, there are primaries and good representation. If they make proposals that do not meet the requirements, they vote in an assembly, as in Galicia. And if not, we go alone.
What happened in Galicia didn't surprise me: people are tired of sitting at the second table.
Q Did they pay for Colau's hyperleadership?
R. Not only. We made big mistakes and gave political forces a lot of space that they didn't give back to us. Not only that, they used it to ignore us.
Q During the negotiations he threatened them with losing their subsidies.
R. It was surreal. When representing a shared space, you must not threaten or choke. I knew her before PAH. I haven't changed and I still think the same. Yolanda Diaz? You can't disappoint me. It's not my space. She is a professional politician: she has been doing lifelong politics for many years.
It was surreal. When representing a shared space, you must not threaten or choke. I knew her before PAH. I haven't changed and I still think the same. ¿
Q Of the eight En Comú Podem deputies in Parliament, only Yolanda López is from Podem. Is it a mismatch?
R. There is a huge imbalance. It hurt me with the generals. We are working hard in the election campaign. It cannot be the case that in a coalition 10% are for one party and the rest for the other party. We will not fight over a position, but rather make politics and influence the coalition. Why do they only give us one position? For insisting that public services must be 100% public? We have different ways of seeing and managing politics: Podem works by involving institutions and opening the door to social groups.
The 13 sanctioned leaders will be suspended for nine months and barred from running for office for four years.
Q Why did they accept that fourth place would be occupied by Verstrynge, with no connection to Catalonia?
R. Well, because they wanted to kill Podemos. And Podem has a big vision and looks beyond the question of whether we want a position or not.
Q Jéssica Albiach is the coordinator of the Commons and was on the panel and on the state executive committee. Is this an anomaly?
R. Yes, but not only them: there were Podem registered at the address Catalunya en Comú. They are different parties. But she was not involved in any negotiation process and did not share any information. He does a very good job in Parliament. He had already said that it was difficult for him to feel part of Podem and lead another party.
Q What is the result of the 13 indictments filed?
R. They signed a manifesto calling for Podemos alone. We wanted unity, but not at any price. It hurt us and we only had one person in the starting position. You will be suspended for nine months and unable to hold office for four years.
Q The MP is sanctioned
R. You can't perform, but you can represent Podem.
Q How do you think ERC wants to link the budgets of the Generalitat with those of the State?
Q They have criticized ERC for wanting to link Catalan budgets with those of the state
R. I believe that Gabriel Rufián is more like Podem than the ERC and I would like to know what he thinks about the government's activities. ERC has two souls and in government it is right: there are degraded public services, huge waiting lists, volunteer firefighters in precarious conditions. What is happening to the nurses is outrageous and barracks have been around for decades. ERC has the same model as Pujol.
Q You are saying the same thing as the CUP when it rejects public-private cooperation in public services
R. Yes, socially we are similar, but we are not independent. We will never vote for a Junts candidate for president.
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