Verónica Martínez has the support of Sumar’s main parties to be the new spokesperson for the parliamentary group, replacing Íñigo Errejón, who resigned a week ago following a scandal over sexual harassment allegations. The official decision has not yet been made because this negotiation will be accompanied by several parallel conversations for the restructuring of the parliamentary group, which is the body responsible for approving the appointment.
Sumar will therefore not yet put Martínez’s proposal to the vote, even if the parties in the group have shown their willingness to support his candidacy, as different sources explain to elDiario.es. Some groups, such as Izquierda Unida, have proposed that the decision first go to the table of the coalition parties, which includes some parties in the group, but not all. And then it will be put to the vote of the parliamentary group.
The underlying negotiation actually affects the plumbing of the parliamentary group: a restructuring of deputy spokespersons and committees to rebalance the weight of each party. Sumar tries to balance the interests of the different parties immersed in these conversations, but assuming that there is already a consensus that Martínez is the spokesperson. She is the only candidate on the table and none of the parties opposed her.
The parliamentarian from Pontevedra is part of the Sumar movement, Yolanda Díaz’s party. He was head of Sumar’s list for Pontevedra in the 23D elections. Previously, she had been Director General of Labor under Yolanda Díaz at the ministry. Since 2017, she was also president of the Galician Labor Relations Council.
Thus, Martínez will most likely occupy the position held until a few days ago by Íñigo Errejón, who had to resign forced by the leadership of his party after a series of anonymous complaints on social networks. These messages, published by Cristina Fallarás, denounced sexual harassment practices that Sumar attributed to his spokesperson, who immediately recognized that these complaints concerned him. On Thursday midday, he published a letter announcing his resignation.
Since then, Sumar has attempted to resolve a political crisis of yet-to-be-defined magnitude, while attempting to reorganize the parliamentary group. Several parties in the coalition, such as IU, had requested that the replacement of the spokesperson be done in a democratic manner and that it be accompanied by a restructuring of the group. It is a reflection that arises from the way in which many decisions of the group have been made so far, such as the initial distribution of spokespersons, the appointment of Marta Lois or her replacement by Errejón.
There are changes Sumar needs to make. Errejón was regular spokesperson for the Constitutional Commission and also a member of the Permanent Deputation (the body that governs the Congress in extraordinary periods), as well as a member of the Reserved Expenses Commission. Her replacement, Alda Recas, from Más Madrid, has a long career as a nurse and health activist, so her parliamentary tasks will surely be devoted to commissions that have more to do with health or social rights.
