World by Storm on the Greek situation…
It genuinely is a situation where it is near impossible to forecast how matters pan out. Interesting to read the view of some yesterday that Syriza regards the current government as a very very temporary thing, almost a means of getting themselves into play at national level.
It makes sense, but that only works, both on a political level and economic level both in Greece and more broadly in Europe, if there’s actual positive outcomes.
Quite. Although it is not clear from Syriza’s outline policy what they could consider a success, but teaming up with Greece’s equivalent of UKIP is a embarrassing and difficult partnership to maintain for an avowedly leftist party.
As Pete noted on Saturday the Standard and Poors analysis…
…places Ireland’s Sinn Féin, Podemos in Spain and Syriza in Greece, which want to remain as euro zone members but advocate policies, including default, that are unlikely to be compatible with EMU membership, or with maintaining continuous access to ECB financing.
For Ireland we might describe Sinn Fein as fanatically pragmatic (they aren’t the first in what is probably Europe’s most completely post ideological state), pretty adept at flat packing and disappearing old policies that appeal but don’t work…
That’s the thing about populism, its the appeal that matters. That, and just keeping the ball rolling. Significant pain relief and room to kick the can a little further down the road may be all Syriza need..
But bear in too that they only came in 8% ahead of New Democracy; who by all accounts are glad to have got out with such little damage. The 50 seat bonus that accrues to the top party flatters somewhat to deceive.
Now they are in power, policy will affect the extent which they can wing it. Greece, no less than Ireland, remains substantially pro EU. Getting bucked out is a no no, and not just because the landing could be brutal.
In many respects these dilemmas are just dramatic representations of what’s happening right across Europe. As Adam Curtis notes in the resonant introduction to his latest offering, Bitter Lake…
Increasingly, we live in a world where nothing makes any sense. Events come and go like waves of a fever, leaving us confused and uncertain. Those in power tell stories to help us make sense of the complexity of reality, but those stories are increasingly unconvincing and hollow.
Scary times…
Mick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty
