New leaders elected for Spain's Sumar party

Verónica Martínez Barbero, Sumar's spokesperson in the Spanish Congress, and Rosa Martínez, Secretary of State for Social Rights, have been elected as the new leaders of the Movimiento Sumar party. The duo secured a commanding 95.92% of the support from over 300 delegates at the party's extraordinary assembly held on Saturday.

Martínez Barbero and Martínez were the sole candidates for the party's governing body, the coordinator group. They succeed Lara Hernández, who resigned from the party on July 1, citing a "discrediting campaign" against her. Yolanda Díaz, the founder of Sumar and former leader, has completely distanced herself from the party's day-to-day operations, not being part of the new leadership slate.

The party's political and organizational document for this new phase received 98.96% approval. This document acknowledges the "wear and tear" caused by judicial investigations affecting coalition partners, specifically the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), which leads the government. Sumar is also open to "contingent alliances" with independence parties, following an offer from Gabriel Rufián of the Catalan party ERC to lead the left-wing bloc in future general elections.

With this election, Movimiento Sumar returns to a co-leadership model, similar to the one established in March 2025. That previous structure involved Lara Hernández and deputy Carlos Martín, who later resigned, leaving his position vacant. Ernest Urtasun, the Minister of Culture and spokesperson for Movimiento Sumar, remains a prominent figure, though his specific role in the new executive is yet to be determined.