Skip to content
openDemocracy
Subscribe

“I wouldn’t talk about nationalism, but communitarianism”

Interview with the Spanish philosopher and Podemos Senate candidate, on the nation-state, nationalisms, populism left and right, conservatism, reformism and revolution, television and digital media. Long - 8,500 words.

By Joan Pedro-Carañana and Santiago Alba Rico
Published:
Share
Screen Shot 2018-03-24 at 13.22.30.png
Screen Shot 2018-03-24 at 13.22.30.png

Screenshot: Santiaga Alba Rico discussing “¿Podemos seguir siendo de izquierdas?” (“Can we Still be Leftwing?”) in Barcelona,2014. Vimeo. This interview took place at the Transeuropa Festival organized by European Alternatives from October 25 to 29, 2017 in Matadero, Madrid, with the objective of promoting pan-European solidarity and establishing collaborations between different activists involved in social, cultural and political transformation.

Joan Pedro-Carañana (JPC): I wanted to start by asking you about the Transeuropa Festival. How relevant are its aims, themes and visions for the future in the current context?

Santiago Alba Rico (SAR): I have to admit that I’m not that familiar with this initiative, but from what I’ve read, I don’t think there has ever been a more relevant moment, at a time of clear adversity, for seeking common horizontal connections between Europeans; connections that aren’t just political, but also cultural, aesthetic, and so forth. So, very relevant.

This article is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International licence. If you have any queries about republishing please contact us. Please check individual images for licensing details.

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0