Verónica Martínez Barbero and Rosa Martínez launch joint bid to lead Movimiento Sumar amid internal crisis

The candidacy

Verónica Martínez Barbero, the spokesperson for Sumar in Congress, and Rosa Martínez, the State Secretary for Social Rights and number two to minister Pablo Bustinduy, announced on Friday that they will run as a tandem to coordinate Movimiento Sumar. The party, founded by Yolanda Díaz in 2023, will hold its third congress in three years on 11 July in Madrid. The two candidates framed their bid as an effort to unify a formation fractured by factional infighting.

“We want to do it this way, together, in common, sharing and talking. Moving forward side by side. We want to do it because we are at a key moment in our country's history, and we believe it is time to step forward.”

Internal crisis

The announcement follows weeks of turmoil. On 11 June, the party's organization secretary, Laura Moreno, resigned and sent a letter to the executive accusing current coordinator Lara Hernández of workplace harassment against staff and political appointees. Hernández has not said whether she will seek re-election. The party is split into at least three factions, and sources have urged a unity list to prevent further disintegration.

The candidates' platform

In a joint statement, Barbero and Martínez set out three priorities: continuing policies that fight inequality, following the example of Yolanda Díaz; building a broad left-wing front with other organizations to win new rights; and turning Movimiento Sumar into a solid, strong organization across the country. They also stressed the need for a just transition to modernize the economy and support for those struggling with rent and living costs.

“This small step we take today is the beginning of a path that will only make sense if we walk it together.”

What comes next

The deadline for submitting candidacies to the coordinating group, the party's top executive body, is 30 June. Official lists will be published on 5 July. The extraordinary congress on 11 July will elect the new leadership. While the Barbero–Martínez ticket is presented as a unity list, other candidates could still emerge before the deadline.

Yolanda Díaz's departure

The leadership race unfolds as Yolanda Díaz, the vice-president and founder of Movimiento Sumar, has signalled she will leave frontline politics at the end of the current legislature. Her departure has opened a power vacuum that the party is now trying to fill, while also preparing for a new electoral coalition ahead of general elections expected next year.