[P2P-F] Fwd: [members] Commons conquer Barcelona! A victory for David over Goliath

[Michel Bauwens]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Mayo Fuster Morell <mayo.fuster at eui.eu>
Date: Tue, May 26, 2015 at 6:55 AM
Subject: [members] Commons conquer Barcelona! A victory for David over
Goliath
To: P2P Value Members List <members at lists.p2pvalue.eu>


 Dear all! I know Barcelona politics is not the issue of the project, but
in case of your interest I send you below a short reporting of municipal
elections here and the commons conquering Barcelona approached from digital
culture angel. Cheers! Mayo

*Commons conquer Barcelona! A victory for David over Goliath *

Yesterday (May 24th) the candidature “Barcelona in common” won the
municipal elections (the option of 1 of each 4 people voting). “Now
Madrid”- a candidature also connected to commons ethos - became a key force
for the governance of Madrid city. Those are only two of the many surprises
from yesterday municipal and regional elections in Spain. Cities might be
the departing point of a larger political change. Electoral results opened
up an optimist scenario for the attempt to win also the national elections
at the end of this year, or even in a larger run, a South European
coalition against austerity.

Popular Party and Socialist Party remain the main parties, as since the
country transition to democracy in late 70s, but usual politics power
suffered an important blow. *Bipartidism drooping* from 65% at the last
elections 4 years ago to 52% of the nationwide vote. The renewal of power
forces, instead of its change, are also promoted by status quo interests as
by the creation of new parties: the case of “Citizens”, which also emerged
with force as a new political protagonist. Still the irruption of citizens
candidature is impressive for its dimension and its speed. It also favored
the increase of at least 5 points electoral participation.

Only four years after* Indignados / 15M* rise up for "real democracy now"
in opposition to politicians "who don't represent us" and the "dictatorship
of the markets", its impact has become so evident that cannot be any more
denied. The composition of the new candidatures are populated by the social
movement fabric. To give a taste of it, Ada Colau direct action
anti-eviction activist and squatter is going to be the next major of
Barcelona. A joke from history: an activist against housing evictions
"evicts" usual politicians from the city hall. Considering leaders
trajectory, it could also be said that the cycle started with the
anti-Globalization Movement (the background of Colau or Pablo Iglesias,
leader of Podemos/Yes we can), but also succeeded to mobilized once again
the generation that fought to bring back democracy in Spain against Franco
regime (background of Manuela Carmena of “Now Madrid”, a retired judge and
the mos probable next major of Madrid).