11th Federal Assembly of United Left (Spain)

11th Federal Assembly of IU

← 2012 26–29 May 2016 (primary) 4–5 June 2016 (assembly) 2021  →
90 (of 150) delegates in the 11th Federal Assembly of IU Plurality of delegates needed to win
Registered	22,321 (primary)
Turnout	8,548 (38.30%) (primary) 101 (67.33%) (assembly)
Candidate Alberto Garzón Paloma López Bermejo Tasio Oliver Popular vote 6,382 (74.7%) 1,776 (20.8%) 390 (4.6%) Delegate count 68 18 4 Executive vote 83 (82.18%) Eliminated Eliminated
Coordinator before election Cayo Lara Elected Coordinator Alberto Garzón

The 11th Federal Assembly of United Left was held in Madrid from 4 June to 5 June 2016, to renovate the governing bodies of United Left (IU) and establish the party's main lines of action and strategy for the next leadership term. A primary election to elect the new general coordinator of the party was held from 26 May to 29 May 2016. This was the first leadership election in IU's history in which all the party members were allowed to vote.

The congress was held just before the 2016 Spanish general election, which IU contested in a coalition with Podemos. ^[1] This decision produced an internal rift, leaving the party divided into three factions. The first one was composed of incumbent General Coordinator Cayo Lara and members of the old guard who were radically against any alliance with Podemos. The second was led by IU's spokesman in the Congress of Deputies Alberto Garzón—who was contesting the general election for Unidos Podemos—and received the support of the majority sector of the Communist Party of Spain (PCE) and of most of the IU federations. The third sector was made up of members of Open Left (IzAb), the party led by former general coordinator Gaspar Llamazares, a longtime critic of Lara's leadership.

The leadership election saw a generational renovation with Garzón becoming the new general coordinator in a landslide as he received 74.7% of the members vote. Meanwhile, the candidacy of Paloma López Bermejo—supported by Lara and the old guard—received 20.8% of the vote and the candidate of IzAb, Tasio Oliver, finished last with just 4.6% of support. ^{[2] [3] [4]}

Candidates

Candidate		Age	Notable positions	Announced	Eliminated	Ref.
Candidate elected as general coordinator.
Alberto Garzón		30	Deputy in the Cortes Generales for Málaga and Madrid (since 2011)	26 March 2016	YElected	[5]
Candidates who met the endorsement requirement and were officially proclaimed to contest the primary election.
Paloma López Bermejo		54	Member of the European Parliament for Spain (since 2014) Secretary of Employment and Migrations of Workers' Commissions (2008–2014)	20 April 2016	30 May 2016	[6] [7]
Tasio Oliver		38	Mayor of Castilleja de Guzmán (since 2015) City Councillor of Castilleja de Guzmán (since 2007)	15 March 2016	30 May 2016	[8]
Candidates who met the endorsement requirement but withdrew prior to the primary election.
Álvaro García Mancheño		?	City Councillor of Pedrera (since 2007) Member of the Parliament of Andalusia for Seville (2014–2015)	16 May 2016	–	[9] [10]

Endorsements

Total

Candidates seeking to run were required to collect the endorsements of at least 400 party members or 5% of the total Federal Political Council (CPF) members. ^[11]

Summary of candidate endorsement results

Candidate		Endorsements
		Party members			CPF members
		Count	% T	% V	Count	% T	% V
	Alberto Garzón	2,813	12.60	63.11	99	40.57	57.89
	Paloma López Bermejo	794	3.56	17.81	27	11.07	15.79
	Tasio Oliver	422	1.89	9.47	24	9.84	14.04
	Álvaro García Mancheño	318	1.42	7.13	18	7.38	10.53
	Others	110	0.49	2.47	3	1.23	1.75
Total		4,457			171
Valid endorsements		4,457	16.07		171	70.08
Not endorsing		17,864	83.93		73	29.92
Total members		22,321			244
Sources [11] [12]

Endorsements by party members Garzón   63.11% López Bermejo   17.81% Oliver   9.47% García Mancheño   7.13% Others   2.47%

Endorsements by CPF members Garzón   57.89% López Bermejo   15.79% Oliver   14.04% García Mancheño   10.53% Others   1.75%

Public endorsements

Alberto Garzón

Alberto Garzón's endorsements

• Marina Albiol, Member of the European Parliament for Spain (since 2014), Member of the Corts Valencianes (2007–2014) ^[13]
• José Luis Centella, Secretary-General of the Communist Party of Spain (since 2009), Member of the Congress of Deputies for Málaga and Seville (1993–2004 and 2011–2015) ^[13]
• Yolanda Díaz, National Coordinator United Left Galicia (since 2005), Member of the Congress of Deputies for A Coruña (since 2016), Member of the Parliament of Galicia for A Coruña (2012–2016) ^[13]
• Joan Josep Nuet, National Coordinator of United and Alternative Left (since 2012), Member of the Parliament of Catalonia for Barcelona (since 2015), Member of the Congress of Deputies for Barcelona (2011–2015) ^[13]
• Toni Valero, Secretary of Organization and Finance of United Left/The Greens–Assembly for Andalusia (since 2013) ^[13]

Paloma López Bermejo

Paloma López Bermejo's endorsements

• José Antonio García Rubio, Federal Secretary of Economy and Employment of IU (since 2012) ^[13]
• Francisco Guarido, Mayor of Zamora (since 2015), City Councillor of Zamora (since 1999) ^[13]
• Cayo Lara, General Coordinator of United Left (since 2008), Member of the Congress of Deputies for Madrid (2011–2016) ^[13]
• Diego Valderas, Vice President of the Regional Government of Andalusia (2012–2015), General Coordinator of United Left/The Greens–Assembly for Andalusia (2000–2013), President of the Parliament of Andalusia (1994–1996), Member of the Parliament of Andalusia for Huelva (1986–2000 and 2008–2015) ^[10]
• Ángela Vallina, Member of the European Parliament for Spain (since 2014), Mayor of Castrillón (2003–2004 and 2007–2014) ^[13]

Tasio Oliver

Tasio Oliver's endorsements

• Teresa Araguren, Member of the Board of Directors of RTVE (since 2007) ^[13]
• Gaspar Llamazares, General Coordinator of United Left (2008–2016), Member of the Congress of Deputies for Asturias and Madrid (2000–2015) ^[13]

Political Parties

• Open Left (IzAb) ^[13]

Álvaro García Mancheño

Álvaro García Mancheño's endorsements

Political Parties

• Unitarian Candidacy of Workers (CUT) ^[14]

Results

Summary of the 26 May–5 June 2016 IU assembly results

Candidate		Primary			Assembly
		Votes	%	Del.	Votes	%
	Alberto Garzón	6,382	74.66	68	83	82.18
	Paloma López Bermejo	1,776	20.78	18	Eliminated
	Tasio Oliver	390	4.56	4	Eliminated
Blank ballots		0	0.00		18	17.82
Total		8,548		90	101
Valid votes		8,548	100.00		101	67.33
Invalid votes		0	0.00		0	0.00
Votes cast / turnout		8,548	38.30		101	67.33
Abstentions		13,773	61.70		49	32.67
Registered voters		22,321			150
Sources [15] [9] [16]

Vote by party members Garzón   74.66% López Bermejo   20.78% Oliver   4.56%

Vote by delegates Garzón   82.18% Blank ballots   17.82%

References

1. Riveiro, Aitor (9 May 2016). "Podemos e IU cierran el acuerdo para ir juntos a las elecciones el 26J". elDiario.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 April 2024.
2. Romero, Juanma (30 May 2016). "Garzón arrasa: asume el liderazgo de IU por el 75% del voto de los militantes". El Confidencial (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 April 2024.
3. Romero, Juanma (5 June 2016). "Garzón integra a las minorías en su ejecutiva y da paso a una nueva generación". El Confidencial (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 April 2024.
4. "Partido Comunista de España / Izquierda Unida / P.S.U.C. / Iniciativa per Catalunya Verds". Historia Electoral.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 15 June 2023.
5. "Alberto Garzón defenderá "la más amplia unidad popular" en la Asamblea Federal de IU". El Mundo (in Spanish). Madrid. EFE. 26 March 2016. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
6. Riveiro, Aitor (15 February 2016). "Dirigentes y cargos de IU próximos a Cayo Lara y Llamazares se unen frente a Alberto Garzón". elDiario.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 April 2024.
7. Ruiz, Mar (20 April 2016). "La eurodiputada Paloma López optará a liderar Izquierda Unida" (in Spanish). Madrid: Cadena SER. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
8. "El partido de Llamazares presenta una candidatura rival a Garzón para liderar IU". El Confidencial (in Spanish). 15 March 2016. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
9. Romero, Juanma (16 May 2016). "Garzón elige como su dos en IU a la portavoz en Europa y deja a su lado al líder del PCE". El Confidencial (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 June 2023.
10. Romero, Juanma (29 May 2016). "IU se prepara para encumbrar a Garzón como líder por un amplio respaldo de las bases". El Confidencial (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 March 2024.
11. Romero, Juanma (10 April 2016). "Garzón salva los últimos escollos internos antes de asumir las riendas de IU". El Confidencial (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 March 2024.
12. "INFORME DE DOCUMENTOS AVALADOS" (PDF). static.ecestaticos.com. 7 April 2016.
13. "Los proyectos de Garzón, Cayo Lara y Llamazares competirán por el liderazgo de IU" (in Spanish). Madrid. Europa Press. 17 May 2016. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
14. "Alberto Garzón coloca a la portavoz en la Eurocámara, Marina Albiol, de número dos en su lista para la Asamblea de IU". elDiario.es (in Spanish). 16 May 2016. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
15. Vargas, Jairo (30 May 2016). "Garzón se asegura el liderato de IU con un arrollador apoyo de las bases". Público (in Spanish). Madrid. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
16. "Alberto Garzón, elegido oficialmente coordinador federal de IU" (in Spanish). Madrid. Europa Press. 5 June 2016. Retrieved 25 June 2023.