United Left (Spanish: Izquierda Unida [iθˈkjeɾðawˈniða], IU) is a federative political movement in Spain that was first organized as a coalition in 1986, bringing together several left-wing political organizations, grouped primarily around the Communist Party of Spain.
IU was founded as an electoral coalition of seven parties, but the Communist Party of Spain (PCE) is the only remaining integrated member of the IU at the national level. Despite that, IU brings together other regional parties, political organizations, and independents. It currently takes the form of a permanent federation of parties.
IU took part in the Unidas Podemos coalition and the corresponding parliamentary group in the Congreso de los Diputados between 2016 and 2023. Since January 2020, it participated for the first time in a national coalition government, with one minister. For the 2023 general election, IU took part in the Sumar platform.
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History
Following the electoral failure of the PCE in the 1982 general election (going from 10% to 4% of the votes), PCE leaders believed that the PCE alone could no longer effectively challenge the electoral hegemony of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) on the left. With this premise, the PCE began developing closer relations with other left-wing groups, with the vision of forming a broad left coalition. IU slowly improved its results, reaching 9% in 1989 (1,800,000 votes) and nearly 11% in 1996 (2,600,000 votes). The founding organizations were: Communist Party of Spain, Progressive Federation, Communist Party of the Peoples of Spain, PASOC, Carlist Party, Humanist Party, Unitarian Candidacy of Workers, and Republican Left.
In contrast to the PCE prior to the formation of IU, which pursued a more moderate political course, the new IU adopted a more radical strategy and ideology of confrontation against the PSOE. IU generally opposed cooperating with the PSOE, and identified it as a "right-wing party", no different from the People's Party (PP).
After achieving poor results in the 1999 local and European elections, IU decided to adopt a more conciliatory attitude towards the PSOE, and agreed to sign an electoral pact with the PSOE for the upcoming general election in 2000. They also adopted a universal policy in favor of cooperating with the PSOE at the local level.
IU currently has around 18,000 members, a decrease from 70,000 in 2012.
Organization
Communist Party of Spain (PCE)
In 1986, the PCE promoted United Left (IU) and participated with other political forces in its foundation, first constituted as an electoral coalition and later as a federation of parties. At the 13th Congress of the PCE it was decided to transfer its sovereignty to the bodies of IU, with its secretary-general Gerardo Iglesias also becoming the first general coordinator of the new coalition.
Under the leadership of the then secretary-general of the PCE, Julio Anguita, IU achieved the best results in its history, but health problems forced him to step down from the leadership. In 2008, the PCE regained leadership of the coalition with the election of Cayo Lara as general coordinator, with the objective of the Refoundation of the Left.
Republican Left
It was part of United Left (IU) from its creation in 1986, participating actively in the coalition until 2002, when it broke away due to disagreements with the leadership of Gaspar Llamazares.
On 19 June 2010, part of its membership decided to participate in the process of Refoundation of the Left promoted by the new leadership of Cayo Lara, and on 6 February 2011, the party's return to United Left and the participation of its members in the coalition lists was confirmed, although the sector opposed to this integration split off to create Republican Alternative.
Communist Youth Union of Spain (UJCE)
At the 3rd IU Assembly in March 1992, the Communist Youth Union of Spain (UJCE), the youth organization of the PCE, was recognized as a political organization affiliated with IU, independent from the PCE. At that assembly it opposed the idea of constituting IU as a conventional political party, defending the theses of the PCE leadership, headed by Julio Anguita, of moving from the phase of coalition to that of a political and social movement.
At the 9th Federal Assembly of IU they supported the list headed by Cayo Lara, which won a majority, and he was elected coordinator. In this way the process of Refoundation of the Left began and four UJCE members became part of IU's federal political council.
La Aurora (OM)
La Aurora (OM) was founded in 1974 as the Revolutionary Workers' Party of Spain (PORE) and joined United Left in 1998. In 2005 it created the Redes current within IU. Its section in Catalonia, the most active, is integrated into EUiA through the Bastida current, while in the Basque Country it was integrated into Ezker Batua-Berdeak through Sarea/Redes (although part of the POR left the coalition in 2011 to call for a vote for Amaiur through the Erabaki collective). In 2013 it changed its name to that of its publication, La Aurora.
Ecosocialists of the Region of Murcia
On 15 November 2010, the Regional Political Council of IU in Murcia unanimously approved the incorporation of a new political organization, Ecosocialists of the Region of Murcia, made up of people outside the left-wing coalition and independent members of it, and established with the objective, according to its statutes, of working in coordination with United Left to "transform society on the basis of the principles of social ecology, participatory democracy, and socialism".
Initiative for El Hierro
On 23 December 2010, United Left met in El Hierro with representatives of the leadership of Initiative for El Hierro, where the political agreement reached by both political formations was finalized. The agreement, ratified by the general assembly of Initiative for El Hierro, meant the recognition of this political force as the sole reference of United Left in El Hierro, maintaining its own political identity and decision-making capacity. Both sides maintain that the agreement reached aims to go beyond a simple electoral alliance and enable the process of reorganization of the entire transformative and alternative Canarian left.
Broad Front of Madrid
Broad Front was constituted in 2013 as an internal current of IUCM, but in 2015 they announced their constitution as a political party within IU. After the defederation of IUCM, Broad Front of Madrid joined as a constituent party of the new Madrid federation of IU.
Territorial federations
Andalusia: Izquierda Unida Los Verdes - Convocatoría por Andalucía (United Left/The Greens - Assembly for Andalusia)
Aragon: Izquierda Unida Aragón (United Left of Aragon)
Asturias: Izquierda Xunida de Asturies (United Left of Asturias)
Balearic Islands: Esquerra Unida de les Illes Balears (United Left of the Balearic Islands)
Canary Islands: Izquierda Unida Canaria (Canarian United Left)
Cantabria: Izquierda Unida de Cantabria (Cantabrian United Left)
Castilla-La Mancha: Izquierda Unida de Castilla-La Mancha (United Left of Castilla-La Mancha)
Catalonia: Esquerra Unida Catalunya (United Left Catalonia, Founded in July 2019; suspended in June 2019 Esquerra Unida i Alternativa)
Castilla y León: Izquierda Unida de Castilla y León (United Left of Castile and León)
Ceuta: Izquierda Unida de Ceuta (United Left of Ceuta)
Euskadi: Izquierda Unida - Los Verdes: Ezker Anitza (United Left - The Greens: Plural Left)
Extremadura: Izquierda Unida Extremadura (United Left Extremadura)
Galicia: Esquerda Unida (United Left of Galicia)
La Rioja: Izquierda Unida La Rioja (United Left-La Rioja)