International

Podemos, the SP's sister party in Spain, has overnight become the country's third party with more than 20% of the electorate behind it. Following Greece and Portugal, Spain could become the third country in the EU to have a modern left party in its government. That will depend on coalition talks still to come. Just as in Portugal the right will first try to stay in power, but the leftward surge will not be halted.

Every day that I'm in the European Parliament I walk past the Podemos offices. In the last few weeks they've been a bit less populated than usual, because however fascinating things may be at the European Parliament, our Spanish friends have of course been for the most part busy with their general election. Podemos' spectacular entry into national politics in Spain will certainly also work through to the EP, giving modern left parties a boost. Also, even if for the time being the political establishment in the EP continues to rule the roost, the rejection of the established order in three southern European member states will also have its consequences for the EU as a whole.

During the last meeting for this year of our political group in the European Parliament, the United European Left/Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL), everyone was in agreement that the two big groups – the social democratic PDS and the centre-right EPP – would be frightened by these developments, so frightened that they would be looking to deprive smaller groups of all of their political rights. It could become more difficult to put written or oral questions, present amendments or demand a roll-call vote. You never know which way a cornered rat will jump.

The result of the elections in Spain gives the establishment yet more reasons to be concerned. Both the right-wing Partido Popular and the social-democrats of the PSOE have suffered a painful defeat and neither can muster any longer an absolute majority. If their groups in the EP think that by changing the procedural regulations they can turn things to their advantage, they might have another think coming. The chances are great that after the European Parliament elections in 2019, it will not be the GUE/NGL, but the PDS and the EPP which will belong to the smaller groups. In that case all of the rules that they are now attempting to introduce will work against them. However that may be, the rise of the modern left is not to be halted. Our best years must surely be still to come.