SYRIZA's achievement has been nothing short of remarkable given the fact that it has not only had to campaign against right wing political forces within Greece , it has to confront a campaign of fear and intimidation mounted by the European establishment. This was never an election fought on level terms - the European powerbrokers made sure of that. It would be interesting to know just how much foreign money has been poured into the coffers of New Democracy.
The European Union, the European Central Bank, the IMF and prime ministers and finance ministers from many European countries, all threatened that a victory for SYRIZA would mean the end of EU funding (which in any case goes to pay German and French banks), Greek exit from the euro-zone, economic chaos, blah blah blah. Even Barack Obama, a man often heard pontificating about respecting the 'democratic rights' of other countries didn't feel any way constrained to respect the sovereign rights of Greece. He urged Greek voters not to vote for SYRIZA. What a hypocrite.
What scared the life out of the European bourgeoisie is that SYRIZA represented - and still represents - a real threat to the neoliberal order and the polices of austerity. SYRIZA's 's policies include commitments to suspend Greece's debt payments, tax the super-rich and companies, cut military spending, nationalize the banks, strengthen workers' rights, close foreign military bases and to quit NATO. It wants to use the buildings of the government, banks and the Church to house the homeless.
Yes, housing the homeless is apparently a threat to the rule of capital.
Interestingly it seems that SYRIZA represents a generational shift in Greece. it attracted the majority of the under-50 vote. Young people have, significantly, cut their ties with Greece's established parties and are seeking a new way forward. This is immensely encouraging for everyone who is fed up with being told that there is no alternative to 'the market' and the best you can hope for is some 'tinkering' with the default settings - which is what the dismal Labour Party is offering us all in our country.
New Democracy has to somehow cobble together a coalition. Already PASOK (the Greek equivalent of the New Zealand Labour Party) has shown itself to be less than enthusiastic about falling in behind New Democracy . Its support for the austerity policies has cost it dearly and its electoral support has effectively collapsed. Not surprisingly, PASOK is not overly eager to take the poisoned chalice that is being offered to it by New Democracy.
What is certain that the continued pursuit of austerity policies (however much they are supposedly modified') will continue to drive the Greek economy deeper into the mire,
Its likely that New Democracy will be completely discredited - as well as any political party that chooses to jump into bed. with them.
SYRIZA can only grow stronger as the parties of the ruling class continue to impose policies that will only serve to provoke even more political opposition within Greece.
Meanwhile the storm clouds are building in Spain and Italy. The struggle continues.
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