The Mutation of corporatism and the emergence of populist narratives. A comparative study of the processes of protest in Portugal and Spain at the beginning of the Great Recession

Abstract

The Spanish indignant movement and the Portuguese geração à rasca were two expressions of the weariness and indignation of society that, in 2011, led the social protest against the effects of the austerity policies being implemented by the governments of both countries as a result of the economic crisis. However, despite the similarity in terms of the contextual framework and methodology used in the protests, the Spanish movement was equipped with a populist narrative that the Portuguese movement lacked.

The different union strategies altered the traditional system of representation of interests that existed in both countries, decisively affecting their political processes after the great recession. This article reveals the hidden relationship between the change from social corporatism to segmented neo-corporatism and the increase in populist demands and discourses. In so doing, it shows the importance of causal links that have been traditionally glossed over in the literature on populism.