ABSTRACT
In this final chapter we briefly assess the extent to which Schmittian ideas have in fact filtered down into Podemos’ politics. We also consider what the presence of Schmittian ideas in Iglesias’ and Errejón’s language can tell us about the kind of populism that Podemos represents: is this a sinister form of populism that inevitably carries with it some of the ugly traits of Nazism, or is it a form of populism that, as its leaders claim, will deepen democracy? Answering these questions requires us to look much more closely at the tensions within the party, and at inevitable discrepancies between theory and practice. Exploring how and why Schmittian theory made its way into Podemos’ rhetoric may be an excellent way of improving our understanding of the party, its leaders and the political context in which it operates. But it would be unwise to conclude much about the party’s future from this exploration.
