Transatlantic Trade and the City: How the Transnational Coalition Stop TTIP Shifted Scales Back to the Local Level

The present paper explores the expansion of opposition to TTIP from the transnational back to the local level in the TTIP-free Zones initiative. I focus in particular on the process through which three small Bulgarian municipalities – Gorna Malina, Karnobat, and Lovech - joined the Barcelona Declaration, opposing TTIP and demanding their voice to be heard in the international trade negotiations. More than 2000 European cities have taken part in the TTIP-free Zones initiative so far and during the 2016 protests against TTIP and CETA activists in Berlin carried signs with the names of these cities, thus establishing an important symbolic connection between different protest repertoires. In my paper, I trace first, how the transnational coalition Stop TTIP decided to expand their targets beyond Brussels and engage with local mayors. I analyze the use of a whole ecosystem of digital platforms to promote the TTIP-free Zones initiative, but also to inform, organize, and build a strong sense of identity of the participants. Second, I explore how local actors, such as the three Bulgarian local mayors, have gained information about the initiative, how they have managed to convince their city councils to join, and whether they have used the different digital platforms. Last but not least, I explore how these mayors have involved the local population in discussion about TTIP and whether the TTIP-free zones initiative really contributes not only to opposing TTIP but also to triggering a more democratic decision-making process. I triangulate data from qualitative interviews with content analysis of materials produced by participants in the TTIP-free zones initiative both at the transnational and local level.