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Das Fenster zu gesellschaftlicher Veränderung hat sich in Griechenland und Spanien wieder geschlossen

Abstract

Since the huge popular movements in Europe of 2011-2013 have lost momentum, organizing strategies have shifted to the neighborhood level, and grassroots activism has become less visible. At the same time, the hope for political change seems to focus more and more on party politics and the electoral arena. Several authors insist that left-wing parties provide a form of condensation of oppositional forces and that austerity can be defeated through the election of anti-austerity governments. This article takes a closer look at Greece and Spain, how electoral options developed, what strategies they used, and if they can deliver what they originally promised. To what extent do the electoral initiatives and parties in Greece and Spain offer a new approach? Are they the solution for the unsolved problem of uniting the different social struggles in one alternative project? The article also discusses some strategic options of participation in electoral politics in order to achieve social transformation.