Movimento 5 Stelle and Podemos: two sides of a different coin

Tomorrow in Italy it will take place the second round of the municipality elections in many important cities. In particular, Turin and Rome could become the first big cities with a major of the Movimento 5 Stelle.

In Europe there is already a similar case, in Spain where Podemos already governs Madrid and Barcelona.

Even if it would be easy to compare those two experiences, actually Podemos and M5S are very different.

Podemos is the political expression of the Indignados movement. They first created a network of  mutual support and then part of the movement entered in the political arena. Still now, Podemos is linked to the territory and it has a more left orientation.

M5S has a more top-down structure, where the leader Beppe Grillo plays a key role in all the main political decisions. Moreover, the political view is more ambiguous, touching issues of protest, and some typical perspective from the left and from the right at the same time.

Both Podemos and M5S did probably a mistake at the national level. They decided not to form a government when they could, as they didn't want to negotiate with other political forces. For the Madrid and Barcelona cases, Podemos had to do that, with good results.

We will see what it will happen in Turin and Rome, but for sure a huge change is coming in Italy and we cannot predict the consequences neither locally neither at the national level.

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Ireland, Poland, Spain: a week-end that can change Europe

The last week end was exceptionally important for Europe, even if it wasn't perceived like that from everybody.

This is a period of elections and referendum all over Europe. And one week ago three important consultations took place in Ireland, Spain and Poland.

The referendum in Ireland was organized to modify the Constitution and to allow the same-sex marriage. In Spain there were important administrative elections. In Poland finally, the was the second run for the Presidential Elections.

Although the nature of the consultations were different, the results will be deeply change Europe.

Ireland will be the first Country in the world to allow the same-sex marriage in the Constitution. That could have a positive effect also in other Countries and, at the same time, the Church will have to accept that the something is changing in the society.

In Spain, Podemos broke the traditional bipartisan political system, winning in both Madrid and Barcelona. The Popular Party is still the first force, but this is an important signal for the political elections in November.

Poland surprised everybody with the election of the Eurosceptic Andrzej Duda as new President of the Republic. Even if Warsaw is considered the emerging economic power in Europe, also thanks to the Eu funds, a huge part of the Country has not yet touched by the wealth and is asking for a change.

It is interesting to notice that the immobility of the European establishment is going to be overtaken by the choice of the electorate, in a sense or in another. We don't live in a perfect world, but democracy can still amaze us.

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Podemos?

Few days ago some electoral polls have given Podemos, the party founded at the beginning of 2014 and born by the Indignados movement, the 28% of voting intentions. It has become the first party in Spain: PSOE should get the 20% and the PP 26%.

There is a similar situation in Greece, where Syriza is accredited of 31% of votes and could win the incoming political election.

But what would it mean if an anti-austerity force could win the elections in one of the most important European Countries?

In the last years, many protest movements became a Party and could get a lot of votes. In Italy, one of the biggest and weakest economy of Europe, the "Movimento 5 Stelle" leaded by a former comedian, got an extraordinary success in the general elections of 2013 (second Party with 25% votes).  Even with strong and supported ideas to change the system, the movement has not been really able to transform itself in a real Party, a essential condition to convert ideas in laws.

In Spain, in a post-electoral scenario with three main and opposed forces, it is possible to imagine an alliance between Socialist and Moderates in a solidarity government. But the importance of Podemos as first party could bring their leaders to be central in the future reforms.

One thing is sure: the raise of those forces cannot be considered just a signal, but a deep transformation of the European electorate. We are just waiting a consequent transformation at the political level too.

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