ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book argues that these sharp divisions are stale remnants of times past, and that political subjectivity refuses to align itself along these demarcations. It focuses on the Indignados and Podemos, since it has been one of the strongest post-crisis movements in Europe, and Podemos one of the most successful new parties. The book explores the role of emotions within social movement theory. It explains how a theory of hegemony can be a useful tool for understanding the Indignados. The book outlines how we can perceive of ‘a movement which is not one’, a phrase which indicates the paradoxical nature of the Indignados. It proposes that the visceral ties present in the movement can be perceived as virtual ties online and are produced by affective investments in empty signifiers.
