Portside

Activists who took over Barcelona’s City Hall have made lasting progressive gains, while also confronting the limits of being in power.

Reports and analyses from the world left's hot spots

Three weeks after appearing to lose her re-election bid, Barcelona's leftist mayor Ada Colau won another four-year term Saturday. Barcelona was not the only city that had elected a "municipalist" government.

Marta Harnecker: Life and Work * Hong Kong x2 * Switzerland * Brazil * Nigeria * Barcelona* Pakistan's Revolutionary Rhythms

Issues that Barcelona en Comú is tackling come up against limitations set by Catalan and Spanish law. The city lacks authority to regulate housing, although the city has created new affordable housing, has successfully limited the reach of Airbnb...

When Ada Colau was elected mayor of Barcelona, she became a figurehead of the new leftwing politics sweeping Spain. The question she now faces is a vital one for the left across Europe – can she really put her ideas into practice?

How Spain's 15M movement went from occupying city squares to city halls-without compromising its independence. An important part of progressives' recent electoral success can be traced to a strong network of locally organized 'social centers' across Spain. These are spaces where community members can interact and share ideas, whether that means organizing a demonstration, taking Zumba classes or checking out library book.