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Abstract
This article explores how the MoVimento 5 Stelle (M5S) in Italy and Podemos in Spain thematise the role of the State. We draw from a qualitative analysis of speeches of party leaders and party manifestoes in recent national elections. We argue that Podemos and the M5S coincide in reasserting the principle of popular sovereignty to overcome the present “post-democratic” condition and the distance between citizens and the State. However, they differ in their understanding of the State’s intervention on the economy and society. Podemos proposes a new interventionist state reminiscent of post-war social democracy. M5S has a more liberal view, conceiving of the State as a neutral arbiter of the free market. Furthermore, the two parties have different conceptions of the relationship between the State and the Nation. While adopting a patriotic discourse, Podemos has catered for demands of local autonomy, framing Spain as a “nation of nations” and has been adamant in defending migrants and refugees. The M5S has instead proposed a more nationalist discourse, as seen in tirades by party leaders against migrants and refugees. These divergences reflect the different positioning of these formations along the Left/Right axis and how this results in a more inclusive/exclusive view of the State.
DISCLOSURE STATEMENT
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Notes
1. See, for instance, Di Battista’s 2015 speech (ADB1—see Table 1 for speech codes).
2. The name of this movement seems to have been inspired by the title of Hessel’s ([Citation2010] Citation2011) book Indignez-vous!, originally published in France in 2010.
3. All data come from the website of the Spanish Ministry of Interior (http://www.infoelectoral.mir.es), accessed 12 December 2016.
4. “Riprendiamoci la sovranità. La rivolta del cittadino contro il partito unico del privilegio e del conformismo”.
5. “La sovranità appartiene al popolo”.
6. “[…] il popolo voi lo odiate, lo detestate […] perché non lo conoscete […] siete totalmente distaccati dalla realtà […] vi rinchiudete nei vostri teatri protetti dalle vostre scorte”.
7. “[…] la soberanía europea no está en Davos, no está en el Bundesbank, no está en la Troika, no es de Merkel. La soberanía europea es de los ciudadanos. Basta ya de secuestrar la soberanía, basta ya de Gobiernos cobardes que no defienden a sus pueblos”.
8. “Riprendiamoci le istituzioni” or “riprendiamoci la sovranità”.
9. “La prima cosa che dobbiamo fare noi come cittadini italiani per ritornare ad essere sovrani è entrare nell’ottica di un’idea semplice, che chiunque, purché onesto, che abbia voglia di impegnarsi, che abbia voglia di lavorare, può […] entrare in parlamento. Tutti, chiunque”.
10. “Asalto a las instituciones” in Iglesias’ declarations at the first foundational assembly of Podemos on 18–19 October 2014 in Vistalegre, Madrid (Mateo Regueiro Citation2015; Manetto Citation2014a).
11. Although in the latter document it is defined sussidio di disoccupazione garantito instead of reddito di cittadinanza.
12. Nevertheless, note that M5S also wishes to incentivise public healthcare system and education system (MM5S).
13. “Il messaggio che riceveranno sarà da loro interpretato nel modo più semplice “La clandestinità non è più un reato“. Lampedusa è al collasso e l’Italia non sta tanto bene. Quanti clandestini siamo in grado di accogliere se un italiano su otto non ha i soldi per mangiare?”.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Paolo Gerbaudo
Paolo Gerbaudo (corresponding author) is a lecturer in King's College, London, UK.
Francesco Screti
Francesco Screti is a lecturer in the Glion Institute of Higher Education, Bulle, Switzerland and a research assistant in the Fribourg Institute of Multilingualism, Fribourg, Switzerland. Email: [email protected]