Jacqueline Fanchini (Reporter)VOTES are in and Pablo Iglesias is now the official secretary general for the recently-founded anti-corruption Podemos political party.
Out of 61 candidates and 107,488 voters, Iglesias won with a whooping 96,87% majority of 9,5311 votes while Alvaro Monge Artal came in second with 995 votes (1,01%).
Although it shows that 9101 voters (8,47%) submitted a blank vote, Podemos’ technical team does not seem to have included those in the results on their website.
The elected governing bodies for their Citizen Council include Juan Carlos Wallet, Carolina Bescansa, Inigo Errejon and Luis Alegre, who were among the 62 members selected out of 942 candidates.
Finally the ‘Commission of Democratic Guarantees’ includes Gloria Elizo, Raquel Huerta Bravo, Denis Thomas Maguire and Manuel Maroto among the 10 chosen candidates out of 248.
There were 5439 (5.06%) blank votes submitted for the Citizen Council and 13,982 (13.01%) for the ‘Committee for Democratic Guarantees’.
The results were announced at the party’s Citizen Assembly ending with Iglesias’ position on Saturday.
There are currently 224,135 registered Podemos members.
These guys don’t dilly dally. From nowhere to here in around seven months! Spain is hungry for change, fingers crossed that Podemos can provide what is needed. For sure the old mobsters can’t/won’t.
Anyone fancy setting up a Circulo for guiris resident in Spain? We could make a difference in regional and local elections…
@Jon Clarke
It would nice to get some info on how expats who are residents here can get their right to vote. I believe we are not allowed to vote in the national elections but next years locals yes? And I am guessing European elections?
Yes, correct – we can vote in local and regional (junta) elections next year…
Think Jerez resident Justin Roberts is already setting up a ‘guiri circulo’ – any info Justin ?… I’m Sure they’ll be plenty of OP readers keen to enlist…
The way a Hacienda inspector brazenly walked into a new Dutch-run hotel in Ronda this morning all bold and bristling (and clearly looking for a fast buck) reminded me that Spain still sees guiris as an easier target than clawing back the billions stolen by politicians over the last decade.
Good aspirations Mark and Iestyn. Podemus appears to be giving hope back to the democratic process. It sure needs a shot in the arm. But a word of caution. Watch your backside in the U.K. Camerons mob is intent on disenfranchising expats and losing them the right to have a say in the referendum scam.
Be sure to register in your old constituency, use it or lose it. Face it, it’s safer to have a foot in both camps.
Here come the commies.
Be careful what you wish for.
They look a cross between a student union branch or Socialist workers party.
@Jon
Thank you and I look forward to reading Justin’s info. Very sad to read another foreigner business being targeted but this is the norm this days it seems. Of course there are many bad apple foreigners here bit also there are a lot decent people who are only trying to make a living. My gestor is english but raised here and he told me a story the other day. He was dealing with a tax inspection for an expat client and over the few days he spent with the inspector got to know him quite well. Anyway on the last day he asked the inspector an off the record question: “do you target foreigners?” His off the record answer was : “yes, as we believe they are normally hiding something and they always pay their fines”
I know from my own business I get hit with inspections and police raids while others get nothing,
@Dan
I don’t think anyone thinks that PODEMOS will be a long term answer but to label them as “commies” is a bit harsh. I think we all agree there needs to be a huge political shake up in Spain and one thing for sure is in the short period of time they have around things that need to addressed are now being talked about. I have read up a lot on PODEMOS and yes they are far from perfect as they find their political feet, I intend to vote but still haven’t decided how and when the time comes I will objectively look at all and make my mind up
Spain definitely needs a very major political shake up because it is going into economic meltdown. As things stand at the moment, the future is very bleak, particularly in basket case regions like Andalucia.
However, the only way for any political party to succeed is to hit the centre ground and not go too far left or too far right, extreme politics do not work.
Nothing I have read about Podemos convinces me that they are moderate enough to take Spain where it so desperately needs to go, they are too far to the left. Spain urgently needs to banish corruption but it does not need a heavy dose of “Big Government”, high taxation or over regulation. They must become more competitive, less regulated, more business friendly with a fair and reasonable tax system that would encourage the much needed multi-national companies and individuals to invest their money in Spain. At the moment, they simply scare people away.
Podemos must move to the centre ground if they are to succeed otherwise they will become yet another Spanish economic disaster that seemed like a good idea at the time. Spain cannot afford any more expensive economic mistakes under any circumstances, it is important to get it right. I think Podemos need to go back to the drawing board.
Well said Jane, unfortunately it seems PODEMOS is the only hope at the moment for any sort of shake up. Spain and Andalucia in particular in so far in the dark ages it is unbelieeable at times, just today I recive info of a new law that all foods sold by bars and restaurants have to go through some sort of inspection for ingredients of the food on their menus “Food information for consumers” Of course this is to be done by a private company which I will pay and then have its fee discountable from social security payments. This is complete bollocks and once again something to line the pockets of someone somewhere. although I agree there needs to be control it will be once again buisnesses like me that comply while others do nothing with random buisnesses getting fined. Judging by the state of the Jacks chicken shacks kitchen on the Gordon Ramsey program they should maybe start with basic health inspections, RANT OVER
Podemos aims are in conflict with the EU. To carry out their policies Spain would have to say adios to Brussels…would they be prepared to do that seeing as Spain in a beneficiary by billions in handouts.
Good point Bryan. Because Spain is in the Eurozone, they do not have as much freedom and flexibility as the UK and they are subjected to the stringent rules of monetary union and public expenditure is closely monitored. They have not said how they intend to raise the money they will need to implement their policies and they will not be in a position to borrow it without breaching EU monetary rules. Spain is skint, with a shrinking population and low tax receipts and even if they get the billions of Euros back from various corruption investigations, it will not be enough.
PODEMOS have some good ideas in princple but to put these actions into parctice is another thing all together. The party is not even a year old and only recently they started taking on staff to help them with some sort of economic manifesto, we are still 18 months from the general election in Spain so the next 6-12 months will make or break their party. The thing I find puzzling is why aren’t PP having some sort of revolution within its own party as surely there has be so good people there. Rajoy and others connected in scandals should be falling on their swords /taking one for the team or at least step down until they can prove themselves innocent because while they are still in the party their party will be connected to scandals.
Any update on the guiri circulo?