Yolanda Díaz, the Second Deputy Prime Minister of Spain, convened the State Assembly of Sumar, asserting the importance of unity among left-wing parties in preparation for the upcoming 2027 elections.

In her closing remarks at the assembly held at the Teatro Alcázar in Madrid, Díaz emphasized, "People feel it is good that we have nuances and enrich ourselves, but what they want is for us to walk together." The assembly elected Lara Hernández and Carlos Martín as the new party leaders.

Díaz highlighted that unity should be based on a "mixture" of organizations, noting that the electorate desires collaboration rather than uniformity of thought.

The assembly witnessed participation from several leftist leaders, including Unai Sordo and Pepe Álvarez, general secretaries of the CCOO and UGT, respectively.

However, no representatives from Podemos attended the assembly despite invitations, although former Podemos members like Ramón Espinar and Nacho Álvarez were present.

Prior to Diaz's speech, she faced disruptions from an individual questioning the presence of alleged sexual predators within Sumar, prompting a strong reaction from the assembly attendees, supporting Díaz with calls for her to continue.

During the assembly, Díaz criticized the European Commission’s rearmament plan, which she argued undermines the essence of Europe.

Minister of Culture, Ernest Urtasun, expressed Sumar's commitment to build a strategic autonomy for the EU from a progressive standpoint, condemning the proposed rearmament budget of 800 billion euros as excessive.

Urtasun stressed the need for a Europe that advocates for peace, multilateralism, and human rights, contrasting it with the regressive policies espoused by leaders such as Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.

Verónica Barbero, Sumar's spokesperson in Congress, reiterated the group’s commitment to shape the country's future through unity and hope, emphasizing that this does not entail renouncing individual organizational identities.

The assembly overwhelmingly supported the election of Hernández and Martín, with 93% support among delegates for the newly formed leadership.

Hernández previously served as the Secretary of Organization, while Martín has a background as the Economic spokesperson and was involved with CCOO before entering politics.

Delegates also passed a political document with 97.6% approval and an organizational document with 95.7% approval, incorporating numerous amendments.

The assembly also resolved to pursue a renewed electoral alliance with all left-wing parties, including Podemos, which had previously participated in the coalition during the 23rd of July elections.

This resolution commits to restoring collaboration without preconditions while respecting the plurality of political identities.

In conjunction with this, Sumar aims to advance towards a 32-hour workweek and has proposed a constitutional reform to establish Spain as a federal and plurinational republic.

This follows the recent approval by the Spanish Council of Ministers of a draft law reducing the workweek to 37.5 hours, although this initiative's success remains uncertain.

Notably, the assembly ratified a leadership structure that includes former Podemos members and seeks to navigate the fragmented nature of left-wing affiliations under Sumar.

Despite the absence of Podemos leadership at the assembly, the partnership remains crucial for both organizations as Sumar faces declining electoral numbers compared to previous elections, with current estimates showing combined seats could decrease further if both parties remain separate.

Internationally, the assembly rejected a proposal for Spain’s exit from NATO but adopted a position to deepen alliances within the EU regarding security and defense matters.

Sumar's leaders, including Díaz, have previously expressed critical views on NATO, suggesting a movement towards reducing dependence on external powers like the United States.

To foster grassroots engagement, Sumar plans to establish "Amigas de Sumar," reflecting earlier practices from Podemos, to create a community of activism and solidarity aimed at mobilizing support and reinforcing party cohesiveness.