Montero Outlines Labour Reforms at Nou Barris Rally
Podemos general election candidate Irene Montero has proposed raising the interprofessional minimum wage (SMI) to 1,800 euros and reducing the standard working week to 30 hours. She announced the measures on Saturday 24 October 2026 during a joint pre-campaign event in Plaça Major de Nou Barris, Barcelona, held alongside ERC’s lead candidate Gabriel Rufián. The rally, conducted under the slogan 'Home. Life. Future', marks the first joint appearance of the two parties in the run-up to the 2027 general elections. Montero framed the proposals as essential to improving living conditions amid rising costs, stating that "everything is a business and that is what is rotting" society, with reference to healthcare, housing, and education.
The problem is always at the top, not at the bottom, it's always in their businesses, not in people,
said Montero, accusing right-wing parties of protecting the economic interests of elites.
Criticism of PP and PSOE Policies
Montero directed sharp criticism at the Popular Party (PP), responding to candidate Alberto Núñez Feijóo’s plan to abolish the Ministry of Equality. "Feijóo wants a country of women without rights, a country of enslaved women," she said, adding that voting for the PP is voting for "misogyny and violence". She declared, "Your misogyny kills." She also challenged the Socialist Party (PSOE), arguing that their opposition to the right consists only of "tweeting very loudly against those at the top and that's it." According to Montero, stopping the right must be paired with concrete policies to reduce household burdens.
We are running in the elections because stopping the right is as important as lowering rent prices, as capping seasonal housing,
she stated, asserting that neither the PP and Vox nor the PSOE would implement the measures Podemos supports. The party’s platform centres on wage increases, reduced working hours, and improved access to housing. Montero urged women to vote on 29th November for their freedom, framing the upcoming election as pivotal for gender rights.
Sources: Metrópoli, Europa Press.
