Alberto Garzon He puts an end to his political career after 12 years on the front line. In a letter addressed to the militancy, the first United Left (IU) politician to sit in the Council of Ministers announced this Friday that he is leaving the leadership of his party, which he held since 2016.
The still holder of the Consumer portfolio had already anticipated his departure when in June he announced that he had no intention of being part of the electoral lists of Sumar, the space with which his party participated in the July 23 elections. Now, with the imminent appointment of a new coalition Executive, he has taken the next step, although he will continue to participate in the “background.”
After the announcement of the final goodbye, IU has to begin an internal process that will lead to an assembly, still undated, in which the party will decide the new direction. The federal spokesperson and MEP, Sira Rego, will foreseeably be the one who replaces him as general coordinator. Another possibility, a priori with fewer options, would be the general secretary of the PCE, Enrique Santiago.
As minister, Garzón has starred in loud controversies such as the campaign against “excessive meat consumption” to protect his personal health and that of the planet, which outraged the livestock sector, which called for his resignation. He has also clashed with the tourism industry for saying that in Spain it is “precarious, seasonal and with low added value” and with the soft drinks industry for stating that they generate “serious health problems.”
He was also highly questioned for attacking macro farms, which he considers “a perverse model.” The Government officially disassociated itself from these statements, framing them in a few words “in a personal capacity” from one of its members and emphasizing that livestock farming is a “priority” and an element of “territorial cohesion” for the country.