Transversal Politics. Podemos between Populism and Radical Left

Abstract

The article addresses the potential and limitations of transversality and its relationship to the radical and populist left by analysing the theoretical reflections and political practices of the Spanish party, Podemos. Transversality, as developed by Podemos, seeks to shape a new political space by capturing societal pluralism and overcoming the marginalisation traditionally assigned to the radical left. Although it aspires to broaden the leftist project by including civil society and other actors, it ultimately becomes a tool for legitimising or delegitimising internal positions within the party, thereby reinforcing an incompatible divide between radicals and moderates. The article distinguishes between “core transversality” to refer to the attempt to move beyond left-right political identification and “peripheral transversality” to include other types of identities such as nationalism and feminism.