Sumar and Podemos fall below PACMA in Galicia, Spain
Sumar and Podemos have collapsed in Galicia: fewer votes than PACMA and one in every 1,500 voters. The drubbing signals the risk ahead of the European elections.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Sumar and Podemos sink in Galicia: fewer votes than PACMA
The 2024 Galician elections have produced a result that borders on the absurd for Spain's national left. Sumar and Podemos finished below PACMA in votes, according to the count used by analysts, and one in every 1,500 voters is estimated to have backed one of these two parties. The drubbing is not just a defeat: it is a disappearance from Galicia's regional political map. Pudrimos, as the coalition is colloquially known, failed to hold on to a single seat.
Alfonso Rueda's PP has renewed its absolute majority, the BNG has surged and the PSOE has bled support. But the focus of the debate is on the collapse of the left to the left of the PSOE, which failed even to capitalise on the protest vote against the central government. The question hanging in the air is whether this result foreshadows what could happen in the European elections.
Sumar and Podemos' drubbing in numbers
The numbers are stubborn. Sumar and Podemos won fewer votes than PACMA, an animal rights party with no territorial structure in Galicia and no presence in election debates. The comparison is devastating: while the BNG grew to 25 seats, Yolanda Díaz's coalition faded away. One in every 1,500 Galicians voted for one of these two groupings, a proportion that reflects the electoral irrelevance of that political space.
The most repeated analysis suggests that Sumar and Podemos failed to connect with Galician voters. Sánchez's campaign in Galicia, with daily rallies, did nothing to mobilise the left. On the contrary: it may have served as a mobilising factor for the right. Some argue that Galician voters punish confrontation and reward steady governance.
Why does the BNG capture the left's vote?
The BNG has absorbed much of the vote that previously went to Podemos or Sumar. Votes for the national left have ended up with the BNG, which presents itself as the nationalist option without the Madrid baggage. The theory doing the rounds is that left-wing voters prefer their own Galician brand to a national franchise they see as part of the problem.
The BNG has not only grown: it has tripled its vote in a decade, according to available data. That indicates this is not a one-off protest vote but a structural transfer. The national left has lost the narrative in Galicia and nationalism has filled that gap without needing to radicalise.
The PP holds firm and the PSOE sinks
The PP won with an absolute majority, although it lost votes. Alfonso Rueda retains Galicia and consolidates a stronghold that goes back a long way. The reading is that Galician voters, even those not enthusiastic about the PP, prefer stability to experiments. Sánchez's campaign has, paradoxically, been a spur to right-wing mobilisation.
The PSOE has slumped, but not as badly as Sumar and Podemos. The PSOE brand holds up better than its partners', even though it loses seats. The paradox is that Sánchez threw himself into Galicia and the result was worse than expected. The Sánchez effect worked in the opposite direction to the one intended.
The future of Sumar and Podemos: downsizing or refounding?
The situation for Sumar and Podemos is critical. They are left without representation in Galicia and their national prospects rest on the European elections. Some are calling for a downsizing to cut back the structure and lay down arms, metaphorically speaking. The most repeated proposal is that Irene Montero should not give up her seat in Congress to run in the European elections, because she could end up with neither a seat nor a salary.
The calculation is cold: if Sumar and Podemos cannot recover in the European elections, their political influence shrinks to nothing. The brand is damaged and voters show no mercy. Sisterhood is not enough to win elections.
Conclusion: the backlash against Sánchez-ism claims victims
The Galician result leaves one clear conclusion: voters punish confrontation and reward governance. Sumar and Podemos have paid the price for a strategy that failed in Galicia. The PP holds firm, the BNG grows and the national left bleeds out. If the trend is confirmed in the European elections, Yolanda Díaz's political space will have to reinvent itself or disappear.
The 2024 Galician elections have produced a result that borders on the absurd for Spain's national left. Sumar and Podemos finished below PACMA in votes, according to the count used by analysts, and one in every 1,500 voters is estimated to have backed one of these two parties. The drubbing is not just a defeat: it is a disappearance from Galicia's regional political map. Pudrimos, as the coalition is colloquially known, failed to hold on to a single seat.
Alfonso Rueda's PP has renewed its absolute majority, the BNG has surged and the PSOE has bled support. But the focus of the debate is on the collapse of the left to the left of the PSOE, which failed even to capitalise on the protest vote against the central government. The question hanging in the air is whether this result foreshadows what could happen in the European elections.
Sumar and Podemos' drubbing in numbers
The numbers are stubborn. Sumar and Podemos won fewer votes than PACMA, an animal rights party with no territorial structure in Galicia and no presence in election debates. The comparison is devastating: while the BNG grew to 25 seats, Yolanda Díaz's coalition faded away. One in every 1,500 Galicians voted for one of these two groupings, a proportion that reflects the electoral irrelevance of that political space.
The most repeated analysis suggests that Sumar and Podemos failed to connect with Galician voters. Sánchez's campaign in Galicia, with daily rallies, did nothing to mobilise the left. On the contrary: it may have served as a mobilising factor for the right. Some argue that Galician voters punish confrontation and reward steady governance.
Why does the BNG capture the left's vote?
The BNG has absorbed much of the vote that previously went to Podemos or Sumar. Votes for the national left have ended up with the BNG, which presents itself as the nationalist option without the Madrid baggage. The theory doing the rounds is that left-wing voters prefer their own Galician brand to a national franchise they see as part of the problem.
The BNG has not only grown: it has tripled its vote in a decade, according to available data. That indicates this is not a one-off protest vote but a structural transfer. The national left has lost the narrative in Galicia and nationalism has filled that gap without needing to radicalise.
The PP holds firm and the PSOE sinks
The PP won with an absolute majority, although it lost votes. Alfonso Rueda retains Galicia and consolidates a stronghold that goes back a long way. The reading is that Galician voters, even those not enthusiastic about the PP, prefer stability to experiments. Sánchez's campaign has, paradoxically, been a spur to right-wing mobilisation.
The PSOE has slumped, but not as badly as Sumar and Podemos. The PSOE brand holds up better than its partners', even though it loses seats. The paradox is that Sánchez threw himself into Galicia and the result was worse than expected. The Sánchez effect worked in the opposite direction to the one intended.
The future of Sumar and Podemos: downsizing or refounding?
The situation for Sumar and Podemos is critical. They are left without representation in Galicia and their national prospects rest on the European elections. Some are calling for a downsizing to cut back the structure and lay down arms, metaphorically speaking. The most repeated proposal is that Irene Montero should not give up her seat in Congress to run in the European elections, because she could end up with neither a seat nor a salary.
The calculation is cold: if Sumar and Podemos cannot recover in the European elections, their political influence shrinks to nothing. The brand is damaged and voters show no mercy. Sisterhood is not enough to win elections.
Conclusion: the backlash against Sánchez-ism claims victims
The Galician result leaves one clear conclusion: voters punish confrontation and reward governance. Sumar and Podemos have paid the price for a strategy that failed in Galicia. The PP holds firm, the BNG grows and the national left bleeds out. If the trend is confirmed in the European elections, Yolanda Díaz's political space will have to reinvent itself or disappear.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (99 replies).
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