Errejón, leader of the Spanish left, leaves politics due to allegations of machismo

Armando G. Tejeda

Correspondent

La Jornada Newspaper
Friday, October 25, 2024, p. 24

Madrid. Íñigo Errejón, one of the most popular faces of the Spanish left, spokesperson in the Congress of Deputies for the Sumar coalition and one of the founders of Podemos, announced his retirement from politics after a wave of anonymous complaints of sexual violence, harassment and sexist attacks against them.

The 41-year-old politician reported his decision in a letter: I have reached the limit of contradiction between character and personassumes that he leads a way of life neoliberal and even veiledly recognizes violent actions against people around him, pointing out that Political activity generates a toxic subjectivity that, in the case of men, patriarchy multiplies, with co-workers, organisations, emotional relationships and even with oneself..

Errejón appeared on the public scene in 2014 when, with the help of some university classmates, including Pablo Iglesias and Carolina Bescansa, they founded Podemos, which emerged as a renewer of the Spanish left and the result of the massive social mobilizations that began in May 2011. , which became known as the 15M.

The first years of the purple party were directed and coordinated between Iglesias and Errejón, until the struggle for power caused a fracture that led to the departure of the latter from the political formation and the founding of a new force, Más Madrid, in a short time. As a reference for the left in Madrid, it surpassed Podemos and even the Spanish Socialist Workers Party in followers.

He then founded Sumar, along with other peripheral parties and its current leader, Yolanda Díaz, who was the one who appointed him spokesperson for the group in Parliament, a position of great public relevance.

Errejón announced his decision by surprise following the proliferation of anonymous complaints against him on social networks and supported by the public account of a left-wing journalist linked to Podemos and the feminist movement, Cristina Fallarás.

It is pointed out as a psychological abuser, a true psychopath, a monster. Others relate: I had been warned about his treatment of women, but given his political position I couldn’t believe that was true. Their way of having sex marks you and you will never forget it. He asks you to do humiliating practices, and when you refuse he puts you in trouble.

Fix errors

In his resignation letter, Errejón states that with this decision he aspires to help fix errorswhich he attributed to the very rhythm of politics: After an intense and accelerated political cycle, I have reached the limit of the contradiction between the character and the person. Between a neoliberal way of life and being a spokesperson for a group that defends a new, more just and humane world. You cannot ask people to vote differently than how they behave in their daily lives..