Left-wing populism

Left-wing populism, also called social populism, is a political ideology that combines left-wing politics and populist rhetoric and themes. Its rhetoric often consists of anti-elitist sentiments, opposition to the Establishment and speaking for the "common people".[1] Important themes for left-wing populists usually include anti-capitalism, social justice, pacifism and anti-globalization whereas class society ideology or socialist theory is not as important as it is to traditional left-wing parties.[2]

The criticism of capitalism and globalization is linked to anti-militarism, which has increased in the left populist movements as a result of unpopular United States military operations, especially those in the Middle East.[3] It is considered that the populist left does not exclude others horizontally and relies on egalitarian ideals.[1] Some scholars point out nationalist left-wing populist movements as well, a feature exhibited by Kemalism in Turkey for instance or the Bolivarian Revolution in Venezuela.[4] Unlike exclusionary or right-wing populism, left-wing populist parties tend to be supportive of minority rights[5] and to an idea of nationality that is not delimited by cultural or ethnic particularisms.[6]

With the rise of Greek Syriza, Spanish Podemos and to some extent the Italian Five Star Movement during the European debt crisis, there has been increased debate on new left-wing populism in Europe.[7][8]

By country

Multinational coalitions

Many leftist and populist political parties in Europe belong to the European United Left–Nordic Green Left.

Germany

Oskar Lafontaine, member of The Left

The Party of Democratic Socialism was explicitly studied under left-wing populism, especially by German academics.[9] The party was formed after the reunification of Germany and it was similar to right-wing populists in that it relied on anti-elitism and media attention provided by a charismatic leadership.[10] The party competed for the same voter base with the right-wing populists to some extent, although it relied on a more serious platform in Eastern Germany. This was limited by anti-immigration sentiments preferred by some voters, although the lines were for example crossed by Oskar Lafontaine, who used a term previously associated with the Nazi Party, Fremdarbeiter ("foreign workers"), in his election campaign in 2005.[10] The PDS merged into the Left Party in 2007.[11]

Greece

Syriza, which became the largest party since January 2015 elections, has been described as a left-wing populist party after their platform incorporated most demands of the popular movements in Greece during the government-debt crisis. Populist traits in Syriza's platform include growing importance of "the People" in their rhetoric and "us/the people against them/the establishment" antagonism in campaigning. On immigration and LGBT rights, Syriza is inclusionary. Syriza itself does not accept the label "populist".[12][13]

Italy

The Italian Five Star Movement (M5S), which became the largest party in the 2018 general election, has been often described as a big tent populist party,[14][15] but sometimes also as a left-wing populist movement;[16] in fact the "five stars", which are a reference to five key issues for the party, are public water, sustainable transport, sustainable development, right to Internet access, and environmentalism, typical proposals of left-wing populist parties.[17] However, despite its leftist background, the M5S has often expressed rightist views on immigration.[18]

In September 2019, the M5S formed a government with the centre-left Democratic Party (PD) and the left-wing Free and Equal (LeU), with Giuseppe Conte at its head.[19][20] The government has been sometimes referred to as a left-wing populist cabinet.[21]

Netherlands

The Socialist Party has run a left-wing populist platform after dropping its communist course in 1991.[22] Although some have pointed out that the party has become less populist over the years, it still includes anti-elitism in its recent election manifestos.[23] It opposes what it sees as the European superstate.

Spain

Pablo Iglesias, leader of Podemos

The left-wing populist party Podemos achieved 8 percent of the national vote in the 2014 European Parliament election. Due to avoiding nativist language typical with right-wing populists, Podemos is able to attract all leftist voters disappointed with the political establishment without taking sides in the regional political struggle.[24] At the 2015 election for the national parliament, Podemos reached 20.65% of the vote and became the third largest party in the parliament after the conservative People's Party with 28.71% and the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party with 22.02%. In the new parliament, Podemos holds 69 out of 350 seats and this result ended the traditional two-party system of Spain.[25] In a November 2018 interview with Jacobin, Íñigo Errejón argues that Podemos requires a new "national-popular" strategy in order to win more elections.[26]

United Kingdom

Argentina

Cristina Fernández de Kirchner (the President of Argentina from 2007 to 2015) and her husband Néstor Kirchner were said to practice Kirchnerism, a variant of Peronism that was often mentioned alongside other Pink tide governments in Latin America. During Cristina Fernández de Kirchner time in office, she has spoken against certain free trade agreements such as the proposed Free Trade Area of the Americas. Her administration was characterized by tax increases, especially on agricultural exports during the late 2000s commodities boom, Argentina's main export, in order to fund social programs such as the PROGRESAR university scholarships, the universal allocation per child subsidy (commonly referred to as AUH in Argentina, Asignación Universal por Hijo), a means-tested benefit to families with children who qualified for the subsidy, and progressive social reforms such as the recognition of same-sex marriage.

Brazil

In Brazil, the biggest popular leader is Luis Inacio Lula da Silva, the 35th President of Brazil, who promoted changes of broad popular support based on his policy to combat social inequality, generating a movement called lulism.

Bolivia

The leadership of Siles Zuazo practiced left-wing populism[27] as well as that of former socialist President Evo Morales.[28]

Ecuador

Rafael Correa, the former President of Ecuador, has stressed the importance of a "populist discourse" and has integrated technocrats to work within this context for the common Ecuadorians. In the conflict between the indigenous peoples and the government, Correa has blamed foreign non-governmental organizations for exploiting the indigenous people.[29][30][31]

Venezuela

The presidency of Hugo Chávez resembled a combination of folk wisdom and charismatic leadership with doctrinaire socialism.[28] Chávez's government was also described to have been a "throwback" to populist nationalism and redistributivism.[32]

United States

Huey Long, the fiery Great Depression-era Governor-turned-Senator of Louisiana, was an early example of left wing populism in the United States, advocating for wealth redistribution under his Share Our Wealth plan. Meanwhile, Bernie Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist, is an example of a modern left-wing populist politician.[33]

Left-wing populist political parties

Current left-wing populist parties or parties with left-wing populist factions

see Movement for a People's Party

Represented in national legislatures

•  Argentina – Frente de Todos[34]
•  Austria – JETZT – Pilz List[35]
•  Bulgaria – Bulgarian Socialist Party
•  Bosnia – Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (factions)
•  Bolivia – Movement for Socialism[36]
•  Brazil – Workers' Party,[37] Communist Party of Brazil, Socialism and Liberty Party
•  Chile – Broad Front
•  Republic of China (Taiwan) – New Power Party, Socialist Action (Trotskyist in Local legislative)
•  Colombia - Alternative Democratic Pole, Colombia Humana
•  Cuba – Communist Party of Cuba
•  Cyprus – Citizens' Alliance, Progressive Party of Working People
•  Czech Republic – Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia[38] Party of Civic Rights[39]
•  Denmark – Inuit Ataqatigiit, Red–Green Alliance, Republic, Socialist People's Party[40]
•  Dominican Republic – Dominican Liberation Party
•  Ecuador – Citizen Revolution Movement
•  Europe – Party of the European Left, European United Left–Nordic Green Left
•  France – Left Front,[38] Left Party,[41][42] La France insoumise[41][42]
•  Germany – The Left[43]
•  Greece – Syriza[44][38]
•  Honduras – Libertad y Refundación (Libre)
•  India – Samajwadi Party[45]
•  Indonesia – Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle
•  Ireland,  Northern Ireland – Sinn Féin[46]
•  Italy – Communist Refoundation Party,[47] Democratic Party (factions),[48][49][50] Five Star Movement (factions)[38][51][52][53]
•  Japan – Reiwa Shinsengumi[54][55][56][57]
•  Luxembourg – The Left
•  Mexico - National Regeneration Movement
•  Netherlands – Socialist Party[58]
•  Nicaragua - Sandinista National Liberation Front
•  Norway – Red Party[59]
•  Paraguay – Guasú Front
•  Portugal – Left Bloc
•  Romania – Social Democratic Party[60][61][62]
•  Russia – A Just Russia, Communist Party of the Russian Federation (factions)
•  San Marino – United Left, Active Citizenship
•  Serbia – Socialist Party of Serbia, Movement of Socialists
•  Slovakia – Direction – Social Democracy[63][64][65]
•  South Africa – Economic Freedom Fighters[66]
•  South Korea – Progressive Party
•  Spain – Podemos,[67][68][69] Más País, United Left
•  Sweden – Left Party[59]
•  Turkey – Peoples' Democratic Party[70]
•  United Kingdom – Labour Party [71][72][73]
•  United States – Democratic Party,[74][75][76] Democratic Socialists of America[77][78]
•  Venezuela – United Socialist Party of Venezuela[79][32]
•  Zimbabwe – ZANU–PF[80]

Not represented in national legislatures

•  Austria – Communist Party of Austria
•  Canada – Communist Party of Canada, Marxist-Leninist Party of Canada
•  Republic of China (Taiwan) – Taiwan Solidarity Union
•  Estonia – Estonian United Left Party
•  Finland – Communist Party of Finland
•  Greece – Popular Unity, Course of Freedom
•  Italy – Power to the People,[81] Democracy and Autonomy
•  Iran – People's Mujahedin of Iran[82]
•  Ireland – Irish Republican Socialist Party
•  Malaysia – Socialist Party of Malaysia
•  Namibia – Namibian Economic Freedom Fighters
•  Norway – Socialist People's Party
•  Russia – Patriots of Russia
•  Ukraine – Communist Party of Ukraine[83]
•  United Kingdom – Scottish Socialist Party[84]

See also

• Communism
• Lumpenproletariat
• New Left
• Pink tide
• Popular socialism
• Left-wing nationalism
• Redwashing
• Right-wing populism
• Welfare state
• Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffe: post-Marxist theorists who have argued in favour of left-wing populism

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Further reading

• Albertazzi, Daniele; McDonnell, Duncan (2008). Twenty-First Century Populism. Palgrave MacMillan. ISBN 9780230013490.
• Weyland, Kurt (2013). "The Threat from the Populist Left". Journal of Democracy. 24 (3): 18–32. doi:10.1353/jod.2013.0045. S2CID 154433853.
• March, Luke (2007). "From Vanguard of the Proletariat to Vox Populi: Left-Populism as a 'Shadow' of Contemporary Socialism". SAIS Review of International Affairs. 27 (1): 63–77. doi:10.1353/sais.2007.0013. S2CID 154586793.

External links

• "The winds are changing: a new left populism for Europe". London School of Economics. Eurocrisis in the Press. 2015.