Early elections in Greece

The radical left worries Brussels

Published on 15 January 2015 at 17:52

Europe’e elites feel threatened by the growing power of the far left, writes Le Monde, according to which the radical Syriza party could win Greece’s early general elections on 25 January. However, the Hellenic republic is far from being the only European country witnessing the rise of “the left of the left” —

Several thousand kilometres from Athens, the euro-critical far-left Podemos party in Spain stands a strong chance of winning legislative elections in 2015. […] In Portugal, Cyprus and Ireland, far-left movements are seducing voters who are exhausted by budgetary rigour imposed “from above”, from Brussels, and who are nostalgic for a generous welfare state.

The daily explains that these movements from the radical left have modernised by “dropping obsolete themes and focussing on ‘oppression from Europe and the International Monetary Fund’”. The paper recalls that “Socialist prime ministers signed the deals with the troika” in Greece and Portugal, which explains why many voters, feeling betrayed by the moderate left, have turned to more radical parties. However, even if these leaders have “a virulent discourse against Brussels”, they are not opposed to the European Union in itself, but want rather “to transform it.” This pro-European dimension could lead to a loss of influence in favour of “the populist right”, argues Le Monde.

Receive the best of European journalism straight to your inbox every Thursday
Tags

Was this article useful? If so we are delighted!

It is freely available because we believe that the right to free and independent information is essential for democracy. But this right is not guaranteed forever, and independence comes at a cost. We need your support in order to continue publishing independent, multilingual news for all Europeans.

Discover our subscription offers and their exclusive benefits and become a member of our community now!

Are you a news organisation, a business, an association or a foundation? Check out our bespoke editorial and translation services.

Support independent European journalism

European democracy needs independent media. Join our community!

On the same topic