Iglesias sidelines Errejón

“We have been given an order: unity and humility. We will obey it. “ Yesterday was a joyful day for Pablo Iglesias, and revenge can wait until tomorrow, but for the present, the Vistalegre II assembly has made one thing clear: officially, Podem has two souls, and if they are unable to live together, as the assembly clearly called for even after yesterday's defeat of Inigo Errejón, then the project will fall to pieces.

The feeling of liberation that may reign in the Iglesias camp contrasted with the image of desolation in the team of Íñigo Errejón, who until yesterday was number two in the party. And despite the clear hegemony in the election of Iglésias as Secretary-General, Errejón touted his more than 30% support for the party leadership and his political and organisational policies by demanding the recognition that “Podem is plural” and his desire to implicate those who share that thesis. That now does not seem to be the likely. In fact, Irene Montero Iglesias' closest collaborator ironically put Errejón alongside other leaders who have left the party's inner circle without confirming that she will be the new spokesman in Congress. Errejón remains in the executive, but with much less political clout.

The tandem formed previously by Errejón and Iglesias in fact gave the now sidelined number two control of the internal party organisation and a power base to work from and influence the party between conferences. Following Vistalegre II, that is no longer the case.

The 155,000 party members who voted made it clear they want a party which is more belligerent and radical in Madrid and which keeps its distance from the PSOE.