Divisions on left as election coalition talks falter

Gabriel Rufián, a senior figure in Esquerra Republicana (ERC), has acknowledged that efforts to unite Spain's left ahead of the November 29 general election are likely to fail.

Rufián apologised for not having persuaded the parties to overcome their differences hours before the deadline to register electoral coalitions.

"I apologise to people. I thought that with my influence I could bring the party machinery along, and I probably won't be able to. I have failed," he said in an interview on 'El Món a RAC1' on Friday.

Rufián said a single left-wing ist was now "very difficult," blaming a "war of egos" among party leaders.

Former Barcelona mayor Ada Colau, the proposed candidate for prime minister of the Broad Front coalition, said Rufián was "still in time to put things right."

She criticised his "partial" agreement with Podemos, arguing that it had "helped divide" the left, and called on him to use his good relationship with the party to help secure a united candidacy.

The main obstacle is the lack of a Spain-wide agreement between Podemos and the Broad Front, a coalition comprising Sumar, United Left (IU), Más Madrid and Comuns.

The coalition has offered Podemos leader Irene Montero the second or third spot on its Madrid electoral list, a position that would secure her a seat in Congress, according to Más Madrid's Emilio Delgado, who heads the list.

Delgado described the offer as "generous" but said Montero wanted a different position. He also accused Podemos of undermining the wider negotiations through its separate agreement with ERC in Catalonia.

Podemos leader Ione Belarra insisted her party was still working towards agreements. "I can assure you that Podemos will not be the obstacle; we will work until the last minute on every possible agreement," she said.

In Catalonia, Comuns MP Aina Vidal accused ERC of attempting a "hostile takeover" of her party, arguing that ERC-Podemos deal had made a broader left-wing alliance more difficult. She nevertheless kept the door open to a Spain-wide pact with Podemos.

Rufián defended the agreement as an attempt to demonstrate a path towards cooperation. He praised Colau, who has offered to step aside and even change the coalition's name to facilitate a deal, but said the opportunity for an agreement between ERC and the Comuns might now be lost.

"The historic moment for an understanding between ERC and the Comuns was now. It probably won’t be possible," he said, adding that the Comuns also bore responsibility for the impasse.

Rufián said he had come close to walking away on Thursday but had been persuaded to stay. He ruled out stepping aside, saying he had a responsibility to try to salvage ERC's electoral prospects.

"I never said I would lead the Spanish left," he added.

Broad Front has secured several regional alliances and reached agreements with smaller parties, while talks continue over joint Senate lists with the Spanish Socialists. The deadline for registering coalitions is set for 11.59pm on Friday.