ABSTRACT
We introduce Carl Schmitt’s long-standing relationship with Spain and its tradition of legal and political thought—as well as his connections to Francisco Franco’s dictatorship. We then briefly describe how Schmittian ideas found their way into the rhetoric of Podemos, one of Spain’s youngest and most successful political parties. Podemos has set itself up in opposition to fascism and all it represents, espousing values traditionally characteristic of the political left. So how did an ostensibly progressive party come to embrace ideas developed by a thinker so closely associated with the far right? We explain how answering this question can tell us more about the role ideas play in politics, about populism, and about Europe’s present political condition. The chapter ends with an introduction to the ideas and the people behind Podemos’ impressive rise.
