The former Sumar space, now Frente Amplio, confirms that Ada Colau will head the list for the province of Barcelona and will run for the presidency of the Government in the general elections on November 29.
The former mayor of Barcelona Ada Colau will return to the political forefront as a candidate for Frente Amplio, the brand that replaces the Sumar space, for the presidency of the Government and as number one for the province of Barcelona in the general elections on November 29. The party announced this on Tuesday, according to sources from the organization itself.
Colau previously governed the Barcelona City Council from 2015 to 2023, eight years during which her management relied on networks of activism and related entities, a model that her critics describe as opaque administration. They add that the structural problems of the city not only remained unresolved but worsened.
The announcement comes at a delicate time for the Spanish alternative left, which sees part of its electorate turning away after years of unfulfilled promises. Figures who presented themselves as absolute renewal have lost credibility, and disillusionment runs through the entire progressive spectrum.
One of the burdens that has most eroded these formations is the distance between the public discourse and the private practice of their leaders. Those who advocated austerity and living in humble neighbourhoods ended up residing in high-end homes, a contradiction that has undermined the trust of their bases.
The case of former minister Alberto Garzón is the most cited example: his campaigns against meat consumption clashed with the menus of his personal celebrations, and his failed attempt to enter a well-known political lobby highlighted that gap.
Other figures from the space, such as Pablo Iglesias or Yolanda Díaz, carry a similar weariness. Internal tensions and Díaz's dual role as minister and opposition confuse the electorate, and ideological coherence has given way to party survival.
On a national level, housing has become the greatest failure of the progressive formations that have been in Government. After eight years with ministries in the hands of Podemos and Sumar, access to housing is now more difficult: the laws passed have not curbed the price surge nor offered real alternatives.
The lack of incentives to build new properties has exacerbated an unprecedented housing crisis, compounded by a population increase driven by migratory dynamics that saturate public services. The central Government, these sources argue, has evaded its responsibility in this imbalance.
The consequences are visible daily in Spain's major cities. Squares, parks, and building entrances suffer from serious occupation issues and lack of public safety, and the centre of Barcelona and Madrid reflects, according to these voices, the institutional neglect accumulated over the years.
The street mobilisations organised by groups close to the Comunes and Sumar are seen by critics as attempts to divert attention from governmental reality. Protests in emblematic places, they claim, fail to cover up the inefficacy of their own ministries.
The balance of this political cycle leaves, for this critical sector, a negative outcome for the Spanish left. The electorate, they conclude, has taken note of the chasm between the theory and practice of their leaders.
With Colau's candidacy, Frente Amplio will try to recompose a fragmented space. The general elections on November 29 will be the first electoral test of this new project, which aims to reaffirm the support that Sumar obtained in the previous elections.
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