The Minister of Participation and Transparency and coordinator of Esquerra Unida receives us in the Vinatea Room of Les Corts Valencianes minutes before going up to the rostrum to defend the Citizen Participation Law. Except for surprise, it will be one of the rules that are approved in full broom at the end of March, before the dissolution of the Valencian Parliament and the electoral call. The legislature has been fruitful for Pérez in the institutional field, but at an organic level things have gone wrong in recent weeks. About the internal crisis and her electoral prospects, we talked with her.
How can it be that Esquerra Unida, a few months before the elections, implodes with five dimensions in the Executive. What happened?
I think that the issue of resignations should be answered by those who have left the management. To me the expression that Esquerra Unida has imploded does not seem consistent with reality. Beyond the fact that there may be differences, the US is an organization with a golden militancy and not everything is about institutional charges.
It is very striking that the number one for Alicante and the number one for Castellón who formed a team with you in the primary process have resigned.
I insist, I think that should be asked of them. Right now, the US as an organization is focused on preparing for the next elections and, therefore, who is excluded from that line, from what has to prioritize our work, must explain it. As the EU coordinator, I am focused on preparing for the elections and, as councilor, on moving forward with the projects that we have pending that have yet to see the light of day.
Does it make sense that people who no longer share the leadership line are the candidates for the formation?
You have to ask them that.
I ask you as a coordinator, does the leadership consider that people who do not feel comfortable with the line taken can represent the party?
Obviously I have a line that is coherent and my line has always been to add as much as possible and above all not to make noise. You have to remember how this organization was when I was elected coordinator for the first time; I have to remember that just a year ago I was elected again with almost 70% of the support. When I joined the organization it was very divided and, for the first time in history, it was outside Les Corts Valencianes. We have been the only party that, after being out of Parliament, we have re-entered. And not only that. We have formed part of the Government of the Generalitat for the first time and we are carrying out policies that we have spent our whole lives demanding both from the streets and from the opposition. Therefore, I think it is important to see where we came from and where we are. In addition, we have strengthened the organization and I am focused on that work.
This Saturday there is a Political Council, what do you expect from that meeting?
The meeting has been requested by a certain number of colleagues to give explanations for the dismissal of the undersecretary in the Ministry and, although the election or the dismissal of senior positions in my department is not the responsibility of the body, I have no problem in explain it. I have always been characterized by the less noise the better, but if explanations are requested I have no problem giving them.
Does all this that is happening weaken you in the face of negotiations with Podem to seal an electoral alliance?
Well, honestly, I hope not, because Podemos has been an organization that has had a lot of noise throughout the legislature and we have always respected its internal processes and we have seen them from the sidelines. I understand that this should not influence the negotiations.
And how are those negotiations going?
Well, maybe slower than they should be.
Are you afraid that we will have an Andalusian resolution with an 'in extremis' agreement?
I hope is not like that. We have wanted to start these negotiations a long time ago to avoid what happened in Andalusia.
And we can not want?
Well. we have insisted that they go before.
Do you conceive of a no deal scenario?
I believe that we must have enough political responsibility to know that this cannot happen. For that, both parties need to do our part and obviously the US, as it has always done, will do so.
Where are the main obstacles?
I am not in the negotiations, but let's say that everything is still very early.
Will Héctor Illueca be the coalition candidate?
That is still being discussed because that is also the subject of negotiations. Both can be one candidate than the other.
By the way, what do you think of the second vice president's criticism of businessmen with names and surnames?
He is putting in the center certain issues that are important. And, therefore, a lot of coincidence with the questions that he raises.
But, would you also say names and surnames?
I think sometimes it's important to do
It has become quite clear that the US does not like the name of Unides Podem, what names would you like to see on the bins?
At the moment, there is an agreement in many federations, both in Madrid and in Cantabria and in Euskadi and there the agreements that have been reached is that it be Podemos-Izquierda Unida. The same formula is also being used for the municipalities and where IU leads is Izquierda Unida-Podemos. It is the formula that is being agreed upon in the rest of the federations and I think it is important that there be a general criterion, especially considering that we are talking about elections that are all on the same day. It is a brand where we all see ourselves reflected and that is important so that everyone feels part of that coalition.
If a third Botanic is repeated, what portfolio would the US like to manage?
Obviously the same one I manage. We have done a very important job throughout these four years of legislature and we have made great progress in democratic quality. We are a benchmark in terms of cooperation, we are the autonomous community with the most. It is also undoubtedly the work in democratic memory. Last week we had the first identifications that have been given at the state level by a DNA bank of possible stolen babies. And I would like to be able to continue developing that work.
When the autonomic ones pass, the general ones will come. You were at the Sumar presentation ceremony. Do you like that project?
The people of the US fully agree with this project and we are clear that we want to be part of that project because, furthermore, it is in line with what we have always defended. Joining up with other political forces has always been in our DNA. UI will be there.
Do you also trust that Compromís is also there?
I would like many parties to be there, for Compromís, of course, for Podemos, and for it to be as broad as possible and for this political force to have the necessary strength to continue transforming the policies of this country.
Are you more of Yolanda Díaz or Pablo Iglesias?
I have shared many more years of militancy with Yolanda Díaz than with Pablo. I know both of them personally, but it's not about who you like more or who such. I believe that at the moment there is a project that Yolanda Díaz is leading and with which I feel totally identified.
