Left-wing populism and the assault on the establishment

Abstract

The new political political cycle operates beyond Spanish boundaries. In fact, the emergence and rapid electoral growth of Podemos as the political party has been accompanied by other political experiences that share some similarities with the Spanish case: the development of left-wing populist parties, the redefinition of the political centre, together with another aspect not so present in Spain, namely the existence of radical right-wing parties. This chapter identifies three main features that characterize this cycle: the importance acquired by the establishment as an antagonistic subject and the shaping of anti-establishment politics as a necessary moment of contestation; the formation of a populist left wing, capable of expanding the social support and electoral horizon of the radical left, but also of clearly distinguishing its political program and message from the radical right populism and finally the radicalization of the centre as a response of the establishment in order to start a phase of passive revolution which could diminish the possibilities of political change, as formulated by the left-wing initiatives.