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The Greek Earthquake Syriza will not easily sweep the policies of austerity aside, but there is a palpable feeling on the continent that a tide is turning. <http://fpif.org/greek-earthquake> by Conn Hallinan, January 29, 2015. . . . Syriza is closely aligned with Podemos, the new anti-austerity party that’s now polling ahead of the conservative ruling People’s Party in Spain. “2015 will be the year of change in Spain and Europe,” tweeted Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias in the aftermath of the election. “Let’s go Alexis, let’s go!” Unemployment in Spain is 24 percent, and over 50 percent for young people. Gerry Adams of Sinn Fein — now the third largest party in the Irish Republic — hailed the vote as opening “up the real prospect of democratic change, not just for the people of Greece, but for citizens right across the EU.” Unemployment in Ireland is 10.7 percent, and tens of thousands of jobless young people have been forced to emigrate. Germany’s center-left Social Democrats are generally supportive of the troika. But the Green Party hailed the Syriza victory, and Der Linke Party members marched with signs reading, “We start with Greece. We change Europe.” Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi — who has his own issues with the EU’s rigid approach to debt — also hailed the Greek elections, and top aide Sandro Gozi said that Rome was ready to work with Syriza. The jobless rate in Italy is 13.4 percent, but 40 percent among youth. The French Communist Party hailed the Greek elections as “Good news for the French people,” and Jean-Luc Melenchon of the Left Party called for a left-wing alliance similar to Syriza. French President Francois Hollande made a careful statement about “growth and stability,” but the Socialist leader is trying to quell a revolt by the left flank of his own party over austerity, and Paris is closer to Rome than it is to Berlin on the debt issue. While the conservative government of Portugal was largely silent, Marisa Matias — who represents the Left Bloc in Portugal’s delegation to the European Parliament — told a rally, “A victory for Syriza is a victory for all of Europe.” Time to Deliver In short, there are a number of currents in the EU. And there’s a growing recognition even among supporters of the troika that the prevailing approach to debt is not sustainable. One should have no illusions that Syriza will easily sweep the policies of austerity aside, but there is a palpable feeling on the continent that a tide is turning. It didn’t start with the Greek elections, but with last May’s European Parliament elections, where anti-austerity parties made solid gains. While some right-wing parties that opportunistically donned a populist mantle also increased their vote, voters tended to go left when given a viable choice. For instance, the right did well in Denmark, France, and Britain, but largely because there were no anti-austerity voices on the left in those races. Elsewhere, despite the headlines of the time, the left generally defeated its rightist opponents. . . . _________________________________________________________ Full posting guidelines at: http://www.marxmail.org/sub.htm Set your options at: http://lists.csbs.utah.edu/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
