Exadaktylos, T. (2015) “Assessing Syriza’s first month in office: why Greece remains a long way from a break with austerity“, LSE EUROPP, 03 Μαρτίου.
The new Greek government, led by the Coalition of the Radical Left (Syriza), won power on 25 January. Theofanis Exadaktylos assesses the government’s first month in office. He notes that while Syriza won the election with a commitment to renegotiate the country’s bailout agreement, the subsequent negotiations have proven even more challenging than might have been expected, not least due to internal opposition within the party itself.
It is already over a month since the new Greek government took office amid high expectations among the electorate: namely that it would renegotiate the terms of the bailout agreement with the EU and no more constraints would come about as a result of the memorandum of understanding with the Troika – in fact, the promise was that there would be no Troika at all. Led by Syriza and accompanied by the right-wing Independent Greeks, the new government brought forward proposals to the country’s European partners to amend the agreements, move away from a policy of austerity and focus more on moving towards development and growth.
The state of play in Greece on the day after the election was the following: the electoral campaign period had postponed a number of reforms that were under way; it had halted tax payments by people hoping to receive tax relief; it had given hopes to a number of public sector workers who had been made redundant that they would be able to return to their positions; and an overall sentiment of optimism for the capacity to renegotiate with Europe was prevalent. While that sentiment had given Syriza a boost on Election Day, it had created a largely sceptical European and international climate, as well as fret and irritation amongst its lenders.
Σχετικές αναρτήσεις:
- Leonitsis, V. (2015) “The radicalisation of lower middle class Greek families was the key to Syriza’s victory, LSE EUROPP, 13 Φεβρουαρίου.
- Weisbrot, M. (2015) “Greece: ECB Kicks Syriza in the Face; Syriza Turns the Other Cheek“, The Huffington Post, 05 Φεβρουαρίου.
- Moumoutzis, K. (2015) “Is SYRIZA just another Greek party that does not know what to do?“, Europe on the Strand Blog, 01 Φεβρουαρίου.