From social activism to political activism: citizen candidates to local elections in Spain

The document analyzes the 2015 Spanish municipal elections, specifically the rise of 'citizen convergence' lists that integrated political parties, civil society, and independent activists. These movements, stemming from the 'Guanyem' initiative in Barcelona and influenced by the 15-M movement, sought 'democratic regeneration' through horizontal organization, open primaries, and codes of ethics. The author highlights the role of the green party EQUO in incorporating ecological policies—such as sustainable urban development and energy efficiency—into these agendas. The results showed significant success in cities like Barcelona, A Coruña, and Santiago de Compostela, suggesting a shift toward a more plural political cycle based on cooperation rather than the hegemonic strategies used by parties like Podemos.

• The May 2015 municipal elections in Spain saw the rise of 'citizen convergence' candidacies, which originated from the 'Guanyem' initiative in Barcelona and spread nationwide. These lists aimed for 'democratic regeneration' by combining political parties, civil society, and independent citizens to challenge the distance between the political class and the public.
• These movements are characterized by a horizontal organizational structure and a commitment to transparency, utilizing open primaries, gender parity quotas, and signed codes of ethics to ensure accountability and citizen control.
• The green party EQUO played a significant role in these movements, providing experience in internal democracy and integrating ecological priorities into local agendas, including energy efficiency, sustainable transport, sustainable urban development, and food self-sufficiency.
• The electoral results of May 24, 2015, demonstrated the success of collaborative, open candidacies, with victories or strong governing prospects in Barcelona, A Coruña, Santiago de Compostela, Madrid, and Zaragoza. In Madrid, the 'Ahora Madrid' convergence list outperformed Podemos, receiving 519,210 votes compared to Podemos' 286,973.
• The success of these candidacies suggests a shift toward a more plural and diverse political cycle in Spain, moving away from traditional bipartisanship and the 'electoral war machine' strategies of parties like Podemos toward a model of 'unity in diversity' and cooperation.

APA

Rodríguez, F. M. R. M. (2015). From social activism to political activism: citizen candidates to local elections in Spain. Green European Journal. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/from-social-activism-to-political-activism-citizen-candidates-to-local-elections-in-spain/

Chicago

Rodríguez, Florent Marcellesi, Rosa Martínez. From social activism to political activism: citizen candidates to local elections in Spain. Green European Journal, 2015. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/from-social-activism-to-political-activism-citizen-candidates-to-local-elections-in-spain/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Rodríguez |first1=Florent Marcellesi, Rosa Martínez |title=From social activism to political activism: citizen candidates to local elections in Spain |publisher=Green European Journal |date=16 June 2015 |url=https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/from-social-activism-to-political-activism-citizen-candidates-to-local-elections-in-spain/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rodrguez2015from, author = {Rodríguez, Florent Marcellesi, Rosa Martínez}, title = {{From social activism to political activism: citizen candidates to local elections in Spain}}, institution = {Green European Journal}, year = {2015}, month = jun, url = {https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/from-social-activism-to-political-activism-citizen-candidates-to-local-elections-in-spain/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }