An analysis of socialist populism in Spain through the anti-austerity protest movements following the 2011 financial crisis

Abstract

The Spanish 2019 general elections were the third to occur in four years, and are partly due to the fragmentary political system and a series of legitimation crises. This study thus focuses on the disparity between Spanish civil society and the government which have given rise to popular social movements. The ​Indignados movement conveys the importance of protest movements in challenging democracy, as well as shedding light on the use of social media in Occupy Social Movements (OSMs). By referring to the political economy of Spain following the 2011 financial crisis, theories by Gramsci, Castells, and Marx, among others, are consulted to study the effects and causes of Spanish civil society mobilisation since the crisis. This dissertation then also focuses on the development of the ​Podemos political party, which emerged from the movement. Using snowball sampling, Spanish citizens respond to an online survey regarding their participation in past movements and elections. Longitudinal studies on election polling conducted by ​Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas (CIS) are also addressed. This research establishes that the movement and party grew rapidly because of the popular rhetoric that they employed. However, the Catalonia Independence movement, as well as regional trends of the rise of the far-right, have limited the ability of ​Podemos to compete electorally. Given the performance of ​Podemos ​in the 2019 general elections, it is likely that the grievances of the movement can be taken for consideration at the level of the political class. Despite this, this dissertation concludes that there is no mechanism functioning within the state that can overcome the power of the state itself during the short-term, as concerns regarding state power are given more importance than the protection of the individual liberties of the people.