Spiral. Wikicommons/fdecomite. Some rights reserved.With DiEM25´s vote to establish the first European transnational political party on November 8, the movement takes its strategy to the next step: pushing forward its European New Deal programme by contesting the European elections in 2019.
The decision to establish a political party raises a number of important questions: Can electoral politics be a meaningful instrument to achieve a more radical and democratic Europe? How to balance the power between the political movement and the party in order for DiEM25 to remain capable of change? How, while restricting political leadership to local and short-term tactics, can the movement remain open to ideas and capable of continuously adjusting to new circumstances and experiences?
Can electoral politics be a meaningful instrument?
DiEM25´s political programme can be briefly summarized as follows: democratic alternatives are possible and they are necessary. This does not, however, tell us much about the movement´s capacity to act. Although its call for a new democratic horizon is ubiquitous, aiming for radical democratic change is not enough. Whether DiEM25 can remain capable of change is linked to a more general debate: is electoral politics a meaningful instrument to fight for a more radical democratic European Union?
