És el moment

És el moment
Abbreviation Compromís–Podemos
Founded 6 November 2015
Dissolved 13 May 2016
Merger of Compromís
Podemos
Succeeded by A la valenciana
Headquarters Valencia
Ideology Progressivism
Valencianism
Ecologism
Political position Left-wing
Slogan És el moment
(It is time)
Website
eselmoment.com

És el moment (Valencian: [ˈez el moˈment]; English: "It is time"), also named as Compromís–Podemos–És el moment, was an electoral coalition formed by Coalició Compromís and Podemos in November 2015 to contest the 2015 Spanish general election in the autonomous community of Valencia.[1][2] United Left of the Valencian Country (EUPV) had also entered talks to enter the coalition, but left after disagreements with Podemos and Compromís.[3] The alliance won the second most votes in the Valencian Community in the 2015 election only after the People's Party.

On 13 May, after EUPV joined the alliance ahead of the 2016 general election,[4] the alliance merged into the newer A la valenciana coalition.[5]

History

First negotiations

In mid-June 2015, Compromís co-spokesperson and IpV leader, Mònica Oltra, favoured a coalition between her party and Podemos ahead of the general election scheduled for December that same year.[6] In Oltra's words, in order to reach an agreement with Podemos the resulting coalition had to respect Compromís' brand and allow them their own parliamentary group in the Congress of Deputies.[7] Meanwhile, Podemos' leader Pablo Iglesias had also made public by that time his party's intention to seek an alliance with Compromís in the Valencian Community. Among Podemos' requirements to explore prospective coalitions with other formations were the preservation of the party's label and the holding of primaries at the district level.[8]

Bloc's rejection

Not all factions within Compromís felt comfortable with a possible deal with Podemos: the Valencian Nationalist Bloc, the largest party comprising Compromís, opposed the alliance in early July for considering it a "sale of acronyms".[9] Given the division of its membership on the issue, the Bloc held a non-binding telematic referendum on 5–12 August, asking its members if the conditions approved by the National Executive a few days before were enough to negotiate an agreement election with other progressive forces. Conditions were four: that the Bloc led the party lists—this condition, shared by the other partners of Compromís, was the one that made Podemos most uncomfortable—that Compromís acronym was "pre-eminent"; that they were to have their own parliamentary group; and that a "political Valencian agenda" was to be incorporated.[10] With a turnout of only 23%, two out of three voters said yes to negotiations. This resulted in a momentary unlocking of negotiations, a blow to his detractors and a nod to Mònica Oltra, whose accord with Podemos advanced "very satisfactorily".[11][12]

As a result of low turnout in the referendum, the sector opposing the agreement between the Bloc and Podemos demanded the repetition of the vote, but this time in a binding manner and with a clearer question (in the previous question, a "no" did not necessarily mean the end of negotiations). During the first days of September, the Bloc leadership agreed on the question with critics, which was subject to a referendum between days 12 and 19 that month. This time the question offered two alternatives: that the Bloc ran itself as Compromís, or in coalition with Podemos "and/or other state level political forces or similar platforms" under the four conditions approved in the previous referendum. In this way, the Bloc suggested the possible integration of other forces in the coalition, such as United Left of the Valencian Country (EUPV), which had won more than 100,000 votes in the May Valencian regional election but won no seats in the Valencian Courts.[13][14] This time, with a turnout of 51.6%, three out of four members of the Bloc rejected the agreement with Podemos and other forces.[15] This broad rejection of a possible pre-election agreement was regarded by Podemos as "internal matters" that should go "to the background" while still working for a joint list. In this sense, Mènica Oltra said the referendum results determined the Bloc's stance, but not of Compromís as a whole.[16] Despite the membership vote, the final decision rested within Compromís' General Council, made up of about 350 representatives of the Valencian coalition.[17]

IdPV kept negotiations ongoing with Podemos throughout September, and in early October it held a vote among its members, who supported the unitary candidacy with a support of 81%.[18] In addition, negotiations between Podemos and Compromís followed throughout October. Despite Podemos willing to attend the required conditions, the Bloc, very reluctant to negotiate with a party at the national level, remained against the agreement.[19] To make a final decision on the pact with Podemos, Compromís held a meeting of its executive on October 21. After more than four hours of discussion, the Bloc did not see guarantees for forming a parliamentary group in the Congress.[20] The Bloc's leader, Enric Morera, proposed a new referendum among all members through county assemblies, postponing the final decision to 31 October to be taken by Compromís' General Council. The pact lingered in the air for the next ten days.[21] Mònica Oltra, who rejected this approach, recalled that "for there be a vote in the General Council there must be an agreement in the Executive first".[22]

Final agreement

On 31 October, the General Council of Compromís was held, with Initiative (IdPV) and Greens-Equo (VerdsEquo) favouring the pact and the Bloc and People of Compromís (Gent) against. IdPV and VerdsEquo presented a draft agreement in which Podemos accepted a large deal of the conditions imposed by Compromís, while the Bloc and Gent rejected it because it did not guarantee its own parliamentary group in the Congress, as well as because it was a pact with a party at the Spanish level. After four hours of debate, almost 70% of the Bloc's leadership supported holding another vote among its members on 3 November, deciding on the integration of his party on a platform of "Valencian obedience", open to Podemos and other progressive forces, such as United Left (EUPV) or Republican Left of the Valencian Country (ERPV). This time, Enric Morera would vote and campaign for the 'Yes' option.[23] Meanwhile, EUPV and ERPV complained about having not received any firm proposal to join a coalition, neither from Compromís nor Podemos.[24] Finally, the Bloc's membership voted to support the pact between Compromís and Podemos: with a turnout of 42%, the result of the referendum was 75.6% in favor, conditioning the choice to EUPV joining Morera's project.[25]

The next day, EUPV "profoundly" regretted that it had not been possible to reach an unitary agreement of whole left in Valencia and accused Podemos and Compromís of "intransigence" and "sectarianism".[26] Given these statements, Podemos and Compromís offered EUPV to nominate the No. 4 on the list by Valencia, with its logo appearing on the ballot,[27] but the Popular Unity assembly (in which EUPV was integrated) rejected by a majority.[28] Because of the rejection, on 6 November—the legal deadline for coalitions to be announced—the Bloc's National Council reconvened to see if the agreement with Podemos went ahead without EUPV. As the results of the vote were known, Compromís and Podemos signed their electoral pact before a notary, which was finally supported by the Bloc with 52% of votes.[29]

Member parties

Electoral performance

Cortes Generales

Congress of Deputies
Election Valencian Community
Vote % Seats
2015 673,549 (#2) 25.12
9 / 32
  
Senate
Election Valencian Community
Vote % Seats
2015
1 / 12

References

  1. ↑ "Podemos and Compromís reach agreement for 20-D in Valencia" (in Spanish). Público. 2015-11-06.
  2. ↑ "Compromís imposes its name in the agreement with Podemos" (in Spanish). El Mundo. 2015-11-07.
  3. ↑ "Compromís and Podemos will contest the 20D in coalition without EUPV" (in Spanish). La Vanguardia. 2015-11-06.
  4. ↑ "Compromís, Podemos and EUPV reach agreement for running in coalition in Congress' lists" (in Spanish). La Vanguardia. 2016-05-13.
  5. ↑ "'A la valenciana' will be the coalition name for Compromís, Podemos and EU" (in Spanish). Levante EMV. 2016-05-13.
  6. ↑ "The Great Divide" (in Spanish). La Vanguardia. 2015-11-25.
  7. ↑ ""I would be comfortable in a Compromís-Podemos alliance that respected our brand"" (in Spanish). eldiario.es. 2015-06-17.
  8. ↑ "Pablo Iglesias allows the alliance with Compromís for the general election" (in Spanish). ABC. 2015-06-18.
  9. ↑ "The Bloc's leadership will not support a future alliance with Podemos" (in Spanish). ABC. 2015-07-01.
  10. ↑ "The Bloc overlooks internal tension and asks its membership on Podemos" (in Spanish). El Mundo. 2015-08-05.
  11. ↑ "The Bloc's Yes unlocks agreement between Compromís and Podemos for the general election" (in Spanish). Levante EMV. 2015-08-13.
  12. ↑ "Compromís moves towards pact with Podemos for the general election" (in Spanish). Levante EMV. 2015-07-22.
  13. ↑ "The Bloc hides Podemos in its vote for the general election" (in Spanish). El Mundo. 2015-09-10.
  14. ↑ "The Bloc will ask in referendum on its alliance with Podemos" (in Spanish). El Mundo. 2015-09-12.
  15. ↑ "Bloc members reject a pact with Podemos for the general election" (in Spanish). La Vanguardia. 2015-09-20.
  16. ↑ "Podemos still trusts in running with Compromís in the general election" (in Spanish). eldiario.es. 2015-09-21.
  17. ↑ "Mònica Oltra will force the alliance with Podemos despite the Bloc's opposition" (in Spanish). El Mundo. 2015-09-21.
  18. ↑ "The majority of Initiative supports an alliance of Compromís and Podemos" (in Spanish). El País. 2015-10-03.
  19. ↑ "Podemos offers Compromís all it asks for, but the Bloc remains reluctant" (in Spanish). eldiario.es. 2015-10-20.
  20. ↑ "Compromís postpones the decision on the pact with Podemos on the Bloc's rejection" (in Spanish). Levante EMV. 2015-10-21.
  21. ↑ "Morera proposes Compromís' General Council to decide on the pact with Podemos" (in Spanish). Levante EMV. 2015-10-21.
  22. ↑ "Cracks in Compromís" (in Spanish). El País. 2015-10-21.
  23. ↑ "The Bloc will hold another referendum to decide on the Compromís-Podemos pact" (in Spanish). eldiario.es. 2015-10-31.
  24. ↑ "EUPV and ERPV reject being at the verge of reaching an agreement with Podemos and Compromís for 20-D" (in Catalan). ara.cat. 2015-10-30.
  25. ↑ "The Bloc votes for the pact between Compromís and Podemos for the general election" (in Spanish). eldiario.es. 2015-11-04.
  26. ↑ "EUPV argues to Podemos and Compromis' "intransigence" the lack of an unitary list of the Valencian left" (in Spanish). 20 Minutos. 2015-11-04.
  27. ↑ "Compromís and Podemos offer EUPV the No. 4 place in the Valencian list and its logo appearing on the ballot" (in Spanish). lainformacion.com. 2015-11-05.
  28. ↑ "Popular Unity assembly rejects running in a platform with Compromís and Podemos for the election" (in Spanish). EcoDiario.es. 2015-11-05.
  29. ↑ "The Bloc minimally supports the pact with just Podemos" (in Spanish). Levante EMV. 2015-11-06.
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