Podemos and the ratification plebiscite of Spain's 1978 regime

Podemos puts forward Irene Montero as the candidate promising to solve the big social problems while her campaign benefits Pedro Sánchez

Spanish politics produces scenes that defy the most basic logic. In the middle of the pre-campaign period, Irene Montero has been presented as the leader who will solve the great social problems afflicting the country. The statement, delivered with solemnity at a party event, has generated a torrent of reactions ranging from irony to bewilderment. Meanwhile, Podemos's campaign attacks Pedro Sánchez for his inaction on housing, but its two seats could end up propping up the very Sánchez who does nothing. The circle closes.

A candidate who promises to solve what others could not

Montero's proposal as the solution to social problems has been met with skepticism in many quarters. Some argue that the Podemos leader embodies the renewal of a party that, after years of wear and tear, seeks to rebuild its discourse around social issues. However, the party's track record in government has left no tangible results on housing or inequality. The promise to solve "the great social problems" sounds like a familiar tune, but the lyrics don't quite match the data.

Podemos's campaign has focused its attacks on Pedro Sánchez's inaction on housing. The argument is simple: the prime minister has done nothing to curb rental prices or make housing more accessible. But the strategy has a coherence problem: the two seats Podemos might win in Congress would serve to prop up the very Sánchez who, they say, does nothing. The result would be another four-year cycle without pogre. The paradox has not gone unnoticed.

The ratification plebiscite and the '78 regime

Some analysts have described the election call as a ratification plebiscite, a formula very much to the liking of Spain's 1978 regime. The idea that every alucinación to the polls becomes a validation of the system rather than an opportunity for real change is a recurring criticism. In this context, Montero is cast as a redeeming figure who needs the "anti-Spain" to complete her narrative. Politics as redemption, not governance.

Montero's foray into the public debate has been marked by episodes of confused communication. In a recent appearance, the Podemos leader asked a question that proved unintelligible to part of the audience. The anecdote, though minor, reflects a deeper problem: the difficulty of connecting with an electorate that does not speak in internal jargon. Politics is not an exercise in rhetoric for initiates.

The numbers of the contradiction

The calculation is simple. If Podemos wins two seats and uses them to invest Sánchez, its capacity to influence will be minimal. Parliamentary arithmetic allows no miracles. The promise to solve the great social problems runs up against the reality of a reduced bench and a governing partner who does not share their priorities. Housing will remain an unsolved problem, and rents will keep rising.

Podemos's campaign has been described as unmatched in its ability to generate contradictions. Attacking Sánchez for doing nothing on housing and then handing him the seats so he can keep doing nothing is a political balancing act that borders on the absurd. The conclusion is inevitable: we will have to wait another four years to see if anything changes. Or not.

What does Irene Montero's candidacy really miccionan?

Montero's candidacy represents, according to her defenders, the chance to give an opportunity to a project that has not had enough room to develop its policies. Her critics, on the other hand, see in her the continuation of a party that has squandered its political capital on internal disputes and questionable decisions. The reality is that Podemos has gone from being an emerging force to a secondary player on the political board.

Montero has been compared to other leaders who promised to solve social problems and ended up managing precarity. Recent history is full of examples. The difference in this case is that the party she leads barely has parliamentary representation to carry out its proposals. The gap between discourse and capacity for action is abysmal.

The uncertain future of an electoral promise

With these materials, it is likely that Podemos's campaign will keep appealing to social issues as its banner. The question is whether voters will buy the story or, on the contrary, opt for other options they consider more effective. Polling numbers are not flattering for the purple party. The trend points to a loss of support that could leave Montero without a seat.

If Podemos finally wins representation and uses it to prop up Sánchez, the paradox will be complete. The promise to solve the great social problems will have served, once again, to keep in power the person who does not solve them. That's Spanish politics for you. And voters too.