Pablo Iglesias is not only an ex-politician who writes columns and directs a very left-leaning podcast, he is also the president of the 25M Institute, the 'think-tank' (laboratory of ideas) of Podemos. This facet is concealed with that new profile of controversial talk show host. But it is the first key to understanding the environmental pressure that he exerts on the second vice president, Yolanda Díaz, so that Podemos does not lose hegemony in its future electoral project.

Everything he says is relevant because he is an intellectual reference for the leadership of the party and has a direct impact on the purple cadres and bases.

Iglesias and Podemos maneuvered last week to link the disastrous beginning of the Andalusian coalition with the future platform of the vice president

, despite the fact that they are perfectly aware that she is trying to untie him. Although Díaz has intervened to help the parties reach an agreement in the south, he wants to prevent a scenario that does not augur well for good results from being related to his national project and also begins without unity and with fights. Iglesias took advantage of this situation to place her at the center of the controversy.

The registration of the coalition was made without the names of Podemos and Alianza Verde after a dubious "error" by the United Left. The Electoral Board did not accept the remedy, so Podemos would not have access to electoral subsidies and its candidates will be listed as independent.

From Podemos they explained to ABC that Díaz "asked" the national leader and minister Ione Belarra "give in" with his bet on Juan Antonio Delgado so that there would be an agreement. From the Díaz team they say that it is a lie and that she did not dictate anything, although the vice president did stand in favor of Inmaculada Nieto, from IU, as a candidate to preside over the Junta de Andalucía. Together they took a symbolic walk arm in arm through the Seville Fair and she does not hide her sympathy for her. What irritated the purple leaders.

“It is a horror, it causes us shame,” said the founder of Podemos on Cadena Ser on Monday. The worst way to start something that is necessary in this country, which is the broad front and accumulate illusion. It started in the worst possible way." The former politician was very hard in his plan to wear him out against the vice president.

That same day, at the press conference of the Podemos leadership, the spokespersons Isa Serra and Pablo Fernández followed this game of placing her at the epicenter of the mess: "It is the first step of Yolanda Díaz's broad front." But the vice president's team denied it almost immediately to this newspaper: "It is not, Yolanda's project transcends beyond Andalusia, it is not the same." The idea, however, was strongly used by Iglesias on the radio. And it will continue.

"Yolanda Díaz intervened and said that the candidate had to be the one from IU, we can square it because the boss says so, even if we don't agree, and we have to assume it," explained the one who was vice president. Despite the fact that recently he himself admitted that "perhaps" he was wrong in naming Díaz successor without primaries, these days he reproached her for being meant in favor of Nieto.

“At least let the people decide. If we say that we have to listen to the people, it is to let them speak, voting and deciding, it cannot happen again, "criticized Iglesias. He says 'listening' because of the name that Díaz has chosen for the configuration phase of his candidacy; "Listening process", which will begin, according to what he said, after the Andalusians of 19-J. From the Second Vice Presidency they insist that she did not participate in the Andalusian negotiations.

Iglesias and Díaz have been friends since he was an advisor to Xosé Manuel Beirás with Alternativa Galega de Esquerda, in 2012. But the relationship is deteriorating. The political act in Valencia where neither Belarra nor Irene Montero were invited in November last year was a turning point and generated internal and external discussions, but the truth is that the atmosphere had already been tense a few days before.

A gesture that greatly tightened the ropes was Iglesias' tweet about the Government and PP agreement with Enrique Arnaldo. “Is Yolanda Díaz correct in agreeing with the PP and PSOE to renew the Constitutional Court even though this implies voting for the PP candidates?” wrote the former vice president, and in an article he answered “yes”. No coincidences; there were only a few days left for the event in Valencia.

This message on Twitter did not sit well with Díaz, where it was interpreted as an attempt to hold her responsible for a negotiation that she did not lead, but rather Enrique Santiago, Secretary of State.

In relation to the configuration of his project, the first to attack Díaz for his intention that the parties have a secondary place was Juan Carlos Monedero. Person external to the party leadership, but with a lot of influence. He compared her to Manuela Carmena and appealed to the importance of the party as a "backbone." Since then, Iglesias has not stopped raising it: «There is a very clear awareness on the left that what Carmena tried at the time of her; The 'my charisma and I can do it without the parties' didn't work».

It is clear that for the moment these months of pressure have not helped United We Can take off in the polls; the brand does not maintain its results from 2019. The negotiation for Andalusia anticipates what will be the dynamic of tensions and "stabs" for the construction of the project at the national level for 2023. We will have to wait until then to know if the internal fights and the puyas they have worn out the vice president as a candidate or their idea takes root.