Beyond the New Municipalism: Towards Post-Capitalist Territorial Sovereignty in the Case of Hernani Burujabe

Abstract

The so-called new municipalism has spread in different geographical settings as an attempt to democratise the economy and politics in the local sphere, in response to contemporary capitalist contradictions. However, it has encountered political, economic, and scale limitations that have prevented it from consolidating alternatives for territorial transformation. This paper presents the concept of territorial sovereignty as an analytical tool that provides a roadmap to advance towards radical post-capitalist alternatives. Taking the experience of Hernani (Basque Country) as a case study where this proposal is being implemented, the article explores, by means of action research, the potentialities and limits of this concept. Territorial sovereignty is materialised through Public-Economic-Community (PEC) planning, which offers the conditions to democratise planning, promote a post-capitalist economy, and unfold transcalar strategies. The article discusses to what extent this experience displays the conditions to overcome the framework of capitalist relations and promotes a transition towards ecosocialism.