Excerpted from Juan Pablo Ferrero:

“The left in Latin America has the advantage – and also the disadvantage – of being part of governing coalitions. In Europe, Syriza in Greece and Podemos in Spain are two of the newest and most prominent political fronts making inroads in national and regional elections. As in Latin America, they have emerged as a result of social mobilisation from below.

Podemos grew out of the largest street mobilisation Spain has seen since the transition to democracy. Syriza appeared in Greece when a change in government failed to deliver enough change to tackle mass unemployment.

These origins make the “present left” different from the “new left” of the 1960s and 1970s as well as the “old left” of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Like the earlier movement, it maintains ties to the social movements that brought them to life but unlike its predecessor, it is less prejudiced against open elections and political pluralism.

In stark contrast to the old left, these emerging parties are sceptical about answering to unions. It is the social movements – the less institutionalised, more open and eclectic groups – that dictate the political orientation of the parties. This is a more democratic approach, it also turns decision-making into laborious process.

The Present Left is creating a new political space and is allowing new voices to be heard as decisions are made. These parties see themselves as political but also as cultural movements. To them, the struggle for a new political common sense appears as important as gaining institutional governance. They take language and rhetoric seriously and see both as fundamental political instruments. That’s why they can appear aggressive in their communication strategies as they bid to provide a counterbalance to mass media coverage of politics.

This secular, agnostic left resists traditional labels and works under the premise that creating the conditions for change remains as important as gaining institutional control. These parties are recreating the notion of opposition. And, as they grow, they are bringing back a meaningful voice to the people they seek to represent.”