Teresa Rodriguez celebrates Podemos coming third in Andalusia. Demoted/JaviTorres. All rights reserved.The party Podemos has been representing the hope of millions of Spaniards to overcome the crisis that hit Spain, part of the massive protests since 2011 that have rocked local political structures and spread throughout Europe. In its internal constitution process and its leadership elections, the party presents a new model of horizontal internal organization, with broad participation from its base in its debates and discussions. It proposes a left-wing programme for the country.
The path chosen, however, is not easy, and there are internal contradictions within the left spectrum itself. Let us look at some of the challenges confronting the party in its (short) walk hitherto.
From the streets
Podemos (We Can) emerged as a spotlight in Spanish politics, exposing the dead-end features of a nominally bipartisan political system. After the death of dictator Francisco Franco and the return to some kind of democracy, PP and PSOE alternated in power and despite some differences in the social field – such as the defence of abortion and LGBT rights by the PSOE - in the economic field and also when it comes to corruption, both parties are in tune with the discourse imposed by the EU Troika.
