Sumar elects Verónica Martínez Barbero and Rosa Martínez as new co-leaders in post-Díaz era

A single-list assembly

The third assembly of Movimiento Sumar, held in Madrid's Espacio COEM, endorsed a single list of 65 names for the group coordinator by 95.92%. The vote installs Verónica Martínez Barbero, the party's parliamentary spokesperson, and Rosa Martínez, secretary of state for social rights, as co-coordinators. The list replaces 35 outgoing members, including personal appointees of founder Yolanda Díaz and those who left after the July 1 resignation of former coordinator Lara Hernández. Hernández had denounced a "campaign of discredit" and was the subject of a workplace harassment investigation that was closed shortly before the leadership deadline.

The political-organisational document, debated in over 25 territorial and sectoral assemblies, received 98.96% of delegate votes. It acknowledges the "wear and tear" of recent months and commits the party to building its own identity, distinct from both the PSOE and other left-wing forces. The assembly was notably opaque (no press workspace was provided) as the leadership sought to project unity after weeks of internal turmoil.

Yolanda Díaz exits the stage

The party's founder, vice president Yolanda Díaz, is formally removed from the organic structure after earlier announcing she would not stand as a candidate again. Although she attended the closing rally, she holds no position in the new coordinator group. Her departure ends the phase of a party built largely around her persona to unite the left ahead of the 2023 general election, when Sumar became the fourth force in Congress with 31 deputies.

The Popular Party has just agreed on a government with climate change deniers.

Barbero linked the comment to the Los Gallardos wildfire in Almería that killed at least 12 people, accusing the PP of blocking climate action. Rosa Martínez likewise criticised the PP for voting against the dependency and disability law reform in committee, calling it "the no for no and not allowing any social progress in this country" after a provision requiring the central government to cover 50% of dependency financing was included.

A new ideological core: ecosocialist labour

The approved document defines Movimiento Sumar as "laborismo ecosocialista" or "ecosocialismo laborista," aiming to merge workers' rights with ecological transition. It also creates a Territorial Coordination Council to strengthen regional implantation, a response to long-standing complaints that the party remained too Madrid-centric. The shift is designed to transform the party from a mere "umbrella" for the coalition into a distinct force with its own discourse and structures.

Preparing for 2027

The leadership renewal is explicitly timed for the 2027 general, regional, and municipal elections. The document endorses a "coyuntural alliance" with independence parties at the national level if necessary to block the right, with internal disputes settled through primaries. Movimiento Sumar will continue working "on an equal footing with other sister organisations" (IU, Más Madrid, Comuns) to form a broad front, but it must now prove it can survive as an independent actor without Díaz.

Urtasun's ambiguous role

Culture minister Ernest Urtasun, the most recognised face on the winning list, is a leading candidate to head the wider coalition that will replace Sumar. However, his specific functions inside Movimiento Sumar were not defined during the assembly, leaving open the question of whether the party's public profile will rest on the two coordinators or on the minister.