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Splitting Urban Waters: The Politicisation of Water in Barcelona between Populism and Anti‐Populism
Author(s) -
Popartan Lucia Alexandra,
Ungureanu Camil,
Velicu Irina,
Amores Maria José,
Poch Manuel
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
antipode
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.177
H-Index - 98
eISSN - 1467-8330
pISSN - 0066-4812
DOI - 10.1111/anti.12630
Subject(s) - populism , legitimation , politics , dialectic , commons , power (physics) , political economy , sociology , political science , law , epistemology , philosophy , physics , quantum mechanics
The current literature on remunicipalisation is focused either on theoretical concepts (e.g. right to the city, commons, return of the political) or on the “insurgent” actors involved in this process, overlooking the counter‐politicisation of the economic agents and the resulting struggles for power and legitimation. This paper examines, by means of an interpretative qualitative methodology and by critically engaging with Ernesto Laclau’s approach to populism, the complexities of the ongoing dialectic of populist and anti‐populist antagonism between socio‐political actors and private companies, with a focus on the discourse on remunicipalisation of water in Barcelona.