In recent weeks, Europe’s attention has been heavily focused on Greece. As I write this, the Greek people have been voting in a general election which will decide the political future of the country. It comes after a political deadlock some six weeks ago, when none of the Greek parties could agree on how to form a government. At this time, it appears that the up-and-coming SYRIZA political grouping (capital letters intended), which had vowed to take a tougher line against the authorities in Europe, will not be able to form a government on its own. In addition to this, its leader, Alexis Tsipras, has vowed that it will go into opposition instead of taking part in government, the latter of which could possibly require it to compromise on its values.
The election in Greece, while seemingly simply a general election, has been monitored across Europe because it has become a microcosm for events in the union as a whole. It is not the first time that an election has occurred in a member state which is in a bailout program – Ireland is one example of this, which had a general election in 2011. It is, however, the first time that an anti-bailout party has come seriously close to being able to form a government. SYRIZA, made up of the “Radical Left”, became a political force of note after the previous elections. This time around, it was touted as being a serious contender for government.
People across Europe who are opposed to austerity across the continent – those who take issue with the European Union’s current direction and in particular the influence of Angela Merkel’s government in Germany – rallied behind the left and hoped for a SYRIZA victory. On the other side, Angela Merkel herself weighed in on the election buildup by encouraging the Greek people to vote for a pro-bailout party (see the report here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-18474437)
I read a story on one major news network which described today as a ‘Day of Destiny’ for Europe. Though SYRIZA didn’t come out as a clear winner in this election, the result clearly showed that opposition to the status quo can be powerful.
Angela Merkel and those in power in the European Union may be breathing a relative sigh of relief with this result, but I believe that something far greater has been set in motion. The Greek people came within a hair’s breadth of toppling the austerity-driven policies of the EU leadership, with SYRIZA’s leader promising to tear up fiscal agreements that are crippling Greece. Had that happened, the consequences would have been unprecedented.
Something major is happening across Europe. With the ordinary people of Spain rebelling as we have seen on the news in recent weeks, alongside the rise of anti-austerity groups to serious political contender status in Greece and the collapse of pro-austerity governments in Romania and elsewhere, we are seeing opposition to austerity in Europe taking on a new life.
The message to the European Union leadership, alongside Angela Merkel’s government in Germany, is simple:
The people of Europe will resist. This ‘Day of Destiny’ is just the beginning.
Mark Meehan, Editor-in-Chief – 17/06/2012
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