So, Europes first radical left government in a generation is forced into a deal with the populist right. Unfortunate, unpalatable, but I would have done the same thing. Syriza won a landslide victory but missed out on a majority by two seats. Their first choice for coalition partners, despite the obvious antipathy between them, was the radical left, the KKE. They rejected it and assume primary responsibility for the fact the clear left-wing mandate has been diluted. Going back to the electorate was not an option. After you win that big you are expected to govern and refusing to, bringing a new wave of instability, would result in a loss of vote rather than a gain. So, Syriza had two options. One was to go for a majority on the social questions, with either Potami (centrists), if theyd do a deal, or Pasok (Greeces Labour Party). In many ways these are more palatable - but crucially they are pro-memorandum and pro-Troika parties. They would have fatally undermined debt negotiations. The immediate challenge is the debt. Not just because it paved the path that brought us here, not just because of the political realities of a confrontation youre reading about in every media outlet today, but because the funding runs out in late February, by which time there has to be a deal or a Grexit. To achieve the strongest coalition against the memorandum Syriza have gone into government with the Independent Greeks or ANEL, a right-wing anti-Troika party. We shouldnt underestimate how nasty they are. They have significant racist and anti-semitic tendencies and represent the thoroughly corrupt shipping industry. But the memorandum has been nasty too - producing tremendous suffering, poverty and desperation as well as neo-Nazi Golden Dawn, now the the third biggest party, and a much more threatening beast which is growing closer to New Democracy by the day. Syriza will have to concede the shipping ministry and any reforms to that sector at least, probably some anti-corruption promises too. But thats coalition, Pasok would have wanted much more. The urgent task now is for the party outside the parliament, Street Syriza, to keep mobilised, deepen this rupture, maintain anti-fascist pressure and prevent further concessions. And for the social majority, Society Syriza, to demand that its vote is respected - and to back this government to the hilt when its fighting for that. We outside Greece have to internationalise these questions of course, and I know many people are working on that today. Keep going. This has just begun.
Posted on: Mon, 26 Jan 2015 11:40:14 +0000
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