The crisis of the euro is now centred on Spain , the fifth largest economy in Europe , which now faces sovereign bankruptcy as well as
debt-ridden banks. And next in line is Italy .
Whatever the right-wing New Democracy-led government cobbles
together, the fact is that the Greek economy has been smashed, working people
can take no more austerity measures and basic supplies like medicine are drying
up.
So nothing is different this morning, except that Syriza,
which wanted to renegotiate the draconian bail-out terms, did not win. The
Brussels bureaucracy and German chancellor Merkel were terrified that an
“unreliable” left coalition might come to power in Greece, just as the euro is
in its deepest ever crisis.
But it remains a narrow victory for the New Democracy, Greece ’s
conservative party, which garnered only 3% more of the vote than the Syriza
left coalition. Party leader Antonis Samaras is now in negotiations to form a
coalition with the Pasok pseudo-Socialist Party, which received 12%, in an
attempt to increase his majority – in advance of either party’s agreement to
the talks.
Real fear spread in the commanding heights of Europe after
the May 6 general election in Greece
when the Syriza party, lead by Alexis Tsipras, appeared out of nowhere to gain
some 17% of the vote. Syriza’s share of the vote has risen to 27%, thus bucking
the notion that European voters cannot be enthusiastic about a left radical
party.
Syriza is a coalition of 13 groups including democratic
socialists, euro-communists, Marxists and greens. It is, however, pro-European Union as well as in favour of staying in the euro and
simply wanted to ease the burden on the Greek people.
Tapping into the suffering caused by the harsh terms of the
bailout, Tsipras has won over public sector workers many of whom have received
no wages for months, unemployed young people and Greeks of many political
complexions who feel they have nothing to lose by taking a chance.
Meanwhile, in Egypt , the military has effectively
seized power as the country awaits the result of the presidential election. It
has issued a declaration granting itself sweeping powers. The document by the
Supreme Council of Armed Forces (Scaf) says new general elections cannot be
held until a permanent constitution is drawn up. It also gives the Scaf legislative
control.
On the eve of the elections, under the influence of
pro-Mubarak judges, Egypt ’s
Constitutional Court ,
dissolved parliament. Emergency laws were then revived, which give the military
free rein to arrest civilians without reference to the courts.
It is a pre-emptive coup d’état by Egypt’s “deep state” –
the military-economic establishment – has moved to forcibly end the dual power
situation that has prevailed in Egypt since Mubarak’s overthrow by a mass
uprising last year.
The two candidates in the election both stood for reaction.
On the one side, the Muslim Brotherhood Mohamed Mursi, on the other, the
continuation of Mubarak's “deep state” through
prime minister Ahmed Shafiq. So in the absence of a real choice. In both
rounds, voters opted for the candidate who would best counteract the contender
they do not want. In other words, “the lesser of two evils”.
Have we seen the exercise of the people’s will in either of
these elections? In Greece , even
though 55% of voters opposed the pro bail-out parties, the country now has a
pro bail-out government! In Egypt ,
the army is determined to retain control – whatever the outcome of the
presidential election while dissolving parliament altogether.
Elections have made no difference in either country to
decide who truly holds power. The elections were in fact a form of democracy denied, with
serving to polarise and divide society and allow the elites to stay in power –
a form of “divide and rule”. The
conclusion? If there ever was a time to
create new forms of democratic expression such as people’s assemblies, it is
now.
Corinna Lotz
A World to Win secretary
there
