The historic communist leader and former leader of the United Left called for Andalusia Antonio Romero died this Friday at the age of 69 in a hospital in Antequera (Málaga), sources from the leadership of the ‘IU. Romero had been living in his town, Humilladero, since he retired from politics after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
Romero led IU Andalucía between 1997 and 2000, a turbulent period for the Andalusian left (like almost all), but he continued to be a reference for the following leaders of his party until today. He came to politics from the countryside, because he was a day laborer, from trade unionism and the workers’ struggle. He was a deputy in the Congress of Malaga in the first half of the 90s, when the communists harshly attacked the exhausted government of Felipe González; He was a senator between 1986 and 1989 and a deputy in the Andalusian Parliament in three very different legislatures.
The first saw Andalusian autonomy practically born, between 1982 and 1989; and the second stage was two consecutive mandates between 2000 – when he was headlining IU in Andalusians – and 2008. In 2023 he was part of the electoral list of Sumar in his city, and he was seen at the forefront of certain events. campaign. Romero did not stop calling those who succeeded him to lead the IU Andalucía, such as Toni Valero from Malaga, who now holds this position, or Antonio Maíllo, leader of the federal leadership.
His time at the head of IU Andalucía is the interlude between two very different leaders and two very different ways of understanding the left. His predecessor was Luis Carlos Rejón, famous for the “tightening” he made with the PP of Javier Arenas in a desperate attempt to make a dent in the absolute majority of the PSOE of Manuel Chaves; and his successor would be Diego Valderas, who would eventually agree on the first coalition government between socialists and communists in Andalusia, between 2012 and 2015.
[Habrá ampliación]
