The election for leadership of Spain’s anti-austerity party Podemos has confirmed it is sticking to its leftist roots.<br /><br /> Members overwhelmingly reelected Pablo Iglesias, one of the movement’s founders as Secretary General.<br /><br /> They rejected the policies of his second-in-command, Inigo Errejon”:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%8D%C3%B1igo_Errej%C3%B3n, who was pushing for a more moderate mainstream approach. <br /><br /> Iglesias, who got 89 percent of the vote, told his supporters: “This party congress has told us we should have unity and humility, and that is what we will have.”<br /><br /> “Change is still in the air and today Podemos is stronger and more mature,” Iglesias said. <br /><br /> Errejon moves down the party pecking order as a result of the vote.<br /><br /> PODEMOS: A resounding victory for Pablo Iglesias on all fronts. https://t.co/d2bpVR33TO pic.twitter.com/gwTA0r9gL5— The Spain Report (@thespainreport) February 12, 2017<br /><br /> Iglesias – a former adviser to Venezuela’s president Hugo Chavez and who is close to the Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras – was criticised by Errejón for linking up with a group including Spain’s Communists and for failing to consolidating Podemos’ parliamentary influence and power.<br /><br /> The in-fighting over strategy had threatened to split Podemos which has ridden a wave of anger against austerity to become Spain’s third most powerful party. <br /><br /> Errejon wanted to lure voters from across the political spectrum and cast Podemos as the main opposition party after conservative Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy secured a second term in office last October, but with a minority government.<br /><br /> However many of Podemos supporters are reluctant to see it move ideologically into the centre ground space occupied by the Socialists.<br /><br /> Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias wins power struggle but huge support for iñigo errejon judging by cheers #spain— sarah morris (@sarahmorriseuro) February 12, 2017<br /><br /> Now that Podemos is firmly embedded in Parliament, can it retain its outsider pull? https://t.co/pIJVGe16JQ pic.twitter.com/o4DO0udTnp— il manifesto global (@manifestoglobal) February 12, 2017<br />
