Podemos political party gather outside Reina Sofía Museum in Madrid for a campaign meeting. Demotix/Marcos del Mazo. All rights reserved.Podemos was an exciting surprise, though an uncertain one. This young man with a ponytail, who cut down to size the media pundits of the Spanish right in their own television networks, was creating a political party to stand for election to the European Parliament. It was somewhat shocking that this university professor and his faculty colleagues were getting involved in institutional politics, even for those of us who had already been following his public speeches. It wasn’t only about ‘going into politics’, but about creating an ambitious new party.
For left-wing voters who were feeling disappointed with the situation and the prospects offered to us by the supposed ‘crisis of capitalism’, Podemos represented more than a breath of fresh air; it was a shot of adrenaline. We could not know how this adventure would progress but in those moments we were filled with enthusiasm. Izquierda Unida (IU), the benchmark party of the most committed left in Spain for many years, could not bring together the discontent that was expressed in the streets of the country. The 15-M was a very powerful catalyzing force but lacked real influence in the institutions. The PSOE said it had learned the lessons, but their speeches sounded like little more than talk. And here came the surprise.
With a short campaign that was carried out hardly with any means and that was very dependent on the street and social networks, Podemos blew all the forecasts aside and managed to establish itself as a political force to be reckoned with. They won 5 seats and an enhanced media presence that made an entire country look to a new formation that hadn’t even acquired a logo for the ballot papers. Instead, it showed the face of the guy with a ponytail who had been speaking with common sense on TV, but who had hardly been taken seriously.
