The Dark Side of Podemos?: Carl Schmitt and Contemporary Progressive Populism (Routledge Advances in Sociology)

In 2014 a new progressive party, Podemos, emerged on the Spanish political scene. Within just over two years it had become the country's third-biggest party, winning a slew of seats in parliament and regularly making headline news. While some see Podemos as the saviour of Spanish democracy, others have accused it of corrosive populism. But what few have noticed is that behind its distinctive rhetoric lies a thinker closely associated with Germany's Third Reich: Carl Schmitt. Why has an ostensibly progressive and avowedly anti-fascist political party taken up Schmitt's ideas? The puzzle only deepens when we learn of Schmitt's links with Francisco Franco's dictatorship. In The Dark Side of Podemos? , Booth and Baert explain why Schmittian theory resonated with Podemos' founders. In doing so, the authors position Podemos and the ideas that guide it within the context of recent Spanish history and ongoing politics of memory, revealing a story about how personal and political narratives have combined to produce a formidable political force. This enlightening monograph will appeal to undergraduates and postgraduates, as well as postdoctoral researchers, interested in fields such as Politics, Political Theory and Sociology. It will also be relevant to those curious about contemporary Spanish politics, the nature of populism, the future of the European left, or Carl Schmitt and his links with Spain. Cover -- Half Title -- Title page -- Copyright Page -- Table of Contents -- Acknowledgements -- 1. The Schmitt-Podemos connection -- The Schmitt-Podemos paradox -- Introducing Podemos -- Podemos' approach to politics -- The rise of Podemos -- References -- 2. Podemos' encounter with Schmitt -- Carl Schmitt's vision of politics -- The Shadow of Schmitt in Podemos' political thought -- First encounters -- Beyond intellectual culture -- Notes -- References -- 3. Divergent presents -- Schmitt and the Weimar Republic -- Schmitt's development -- A Spanish Weimar? -- References -- 4. Imagining the political past -- Iglesias and Errejón's background -- The history of memory in Spain -- Memories of the left -- History for Podemos -- A distortion of history? -- Schmitt as political realist -- Nostalgia -- Note -- References -- 5. Imagining the political future -- Iglesias' Thesis -- Errejón's thesis -- The significance of Errejón's retelling -- Latin America: a model for Spain's future? -- References -- 6. Tensions within -- Enmity within? -- Assessing the significance of Podemos' Schmittian rhetoric -- References -- Index Read more... This book explains why Schmittian theory resonated with Podemos' founders. It positions Podemos and the ideas that guide it within the context of recent Spanish history and ongoing politics of memory, revealing a story about how personal and political narratives have combined to produce a formidable political force. Chapter 1: The Schmitt-Podemos connectionChapter 2: Podemos' encounter with SchmittChapter 3: Divergent presentsChapter 4: Imagining the political pastChapter 5: Imagining the political futureChapter 6: Tensions within