Digital Platforms and Party Structure in Barcelona en Comu

Barcelona En Comu has garnered considerable attention within academic research due to its distinctive formation and innovative approaches to engaging citizens within the party. This research investigates the movement's novel strategies, specifically exploring the transformative potential of intra-party digital platforms in reshaping organizational structures and enhancing the feedback loop between party leadership and citizens. Existing literature situates Barcelona En Comu within diverse models of democracy, including participatory, deliberative, and anti-elite frameworks. However, a research gap exists concerning the interplay between organizational structures and intra-party digital platforms within this movement. This study addresses this gap by highlighting how their intra-party platforms act as catalysts for facilitating the democratic reorganization of party structures and significantly improve the interaction between leadership and citizens. The argument posited here asserts that the democratic restructuring of traditional party structures. Moreover, these platforms enhance the feedback loop, enabling a more responsive and inclusive decision-making process. This dynamic evolution yields a new model that could potentially counteract the oligarchical tendencies theorized by Robert Michels (1911). By leveraging technology for internal reorganization and citizen engagement, the intra-party experiment offers a blueprint for a more participatory, responsive, and democratic form of party governance. The findings not only shed light on Barcelona En Comu's model but also provide valuable insights for reimagining organizational structures within political parties towards a more democratic and citizen-centric approach.