DEFEAT FOR AUSTERITY POLICIES

According to John Key, the defeat of austerity governments in Europe is a validation of his own government's austerity policies!

The political forces that have imposed austerity policies throughout Europe have suffered a massive defeat not only  with the election defeat of President Sarkozy in France by the socialist and anti-austerity  candidate Francois Hollande  but  by a fundamental break with 'politics as usual' in Greece.

For almost four decades Greek politics has been dominated by two parties: the centre-left PASOK and the centre-right New Democracy. In general elections these two parties have always attracted over seventy percent of the total vote. However their support for the IMF-driven austerity policies as seen their share of the vote collapse to approximately 34 percent. They have been found guilty of driving the Greek economy into the ground and imposing the burden of the cuts on ordinary Greek people.

The main election  benefactor  has been Syriza, the anti-capitalist Coalition of the Radical Left. It  now has  more support that PASOk, with around 18 percent  of the  vote. In contrast PASOK has 13.5%. The Communists (KKE) are running at about eight percent of the total vote.

In simple terms it is the  anti-austerity left, the left that has defended the interests of Europe's working classes, that has made the big   election gains in Europe.

This is fairly obvious to everyone except the most crudest of neoliberal zealots.  So it comes as no surprise that our Prime Minister has a different take on events in Europe

Bizarrely , he claims that the European  election results  are a validation  of his Government's austerity measures.  He even claims that New Zealanders are  'fairly supportive'  of these failed austerity measures!

John Key's bid to bolster his government failed economic policies is pathetic but not surprising. What will be interesting is to see whether Labour or the Green's will draw a few lessons from what is occurring  Europe and finally break with the cosy free market consensus that has prevailed in this country for more years than most of us would care to remember.

Don't hold you're breath though...