In June 2015, after a historic grassroots campaign, left-wing coalition Ahora Madrid (Now Madrid) was elected to govern in Spain’s capital, Madrid.

Headed by charismatic former judge Manuela Carmena, the minority administration put an end to twenty-four years of right-wing rule. It was a phenomenon that was replicated in many other cities across the country as a wave of progressive municipal governments, backed by anti-austerity party Podemos, came to power.

Expectations were high: Ahora Madrid promised a break with the European Union’s pensée unique of austerity and privatization. Its program included pledges to end housing evictions, create a public investment bank, and remunicipalize privately run public services, as well as increase opportunities for direct democracy in the city.