31 March 2015

Podemos and Left Politics in Europe

Comment on Giles Tremlett's article at The Guardian
Source: The Guardian

Viva Podemos!

Podemos, launched on my birthday 17th of January last year, will make history in Spain and Europe this year. It's a daring political experiment of the left, radical yet practical.

"Politics was like sex: you start off doing it badly, but learn with experience.” 

I just hope that we/Podemos are learning much from the recent and ongoing experience of Greece's Syriza in the plan to break away from austerity. The lesson, I think, is: The left should never underestimate the power of the Troika (the IMF, EU, and European Central Bank), the EU political-business elites, and Germany to enforce and sustain the status quo. Thus, there's a need for much more sophisticated strategy, organization and solidarity.

Longish, but a very good read for people interested in social movements, European politics, and how left activist-academics (inspired by Gramsci, Laclau and Mouffe) are putting ideas into practice....

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