Spain’s national elections change the country’s political scene: lessons learnt from the Greek experience? Modest winners and losers is the mixed verdict of the Spanish elections, indicating a coalition government. So has the result anything to do with lessons learnt from Spain's debt-crisis-bedfellows, the Greeks? Spain and Greece are true Mediterranean economies, highly dependent on agriculture and tourism. Classed as two of Eurozone’s original PIIGS, they both implemented ferocious public [...]
Greek Election sesults: Alexis Tsipras’ Syriza returns victorious but will it honour promises of stability and sea-change? This weekend Alexis Tsipras’ Syriza secured another resounding endorsement – the third in nine months – despite his about-turn which saw him sign a tough bailout memorandum, lighter versions of which he – and the electorate – had previously opposed. In total 24 political parties contested yesterday’s elections, the fifth in six years and the [...]
Greek election 2015: As the elect-to-regret merry-go-round continues, what can we expect of Sunday’s General Election? As United Nations’ blue lights up the Greek Parliament in honour of 15th September International Day of Democracy, the nightly pre-election rallies on Syntagma Square draw to a close ahead of Sunday’s elections – the third in nine months. The mood in the streets is muted. Earlier slogans of ‘hope’, ‘change’, and ‘dignity’, have been [...]
International Democracy Day: Eric X Li, Paul Krugman and Richard Dearlove debate the future of the West, but is democracy the best guarantor of human rights? September 17, 2015 Delegates from the worlds of politics, business, media, civil society, and academia considered burning issues on the universality of democracy, challenges of poverty, religious extremism and the digital age. The “West” accounts for only 12 per cent of the world but consumes 60 per cent of resources and seeks to export its value-systems against increasingly [...]
EU migrant crisis: There can be a place in the sun for refugees in the streets of Athens and throughout Europe September 4, 2015 Spending a day with refugees from war, poverty and discrimination should be a requirement for citizens of a civilised democratic society. Thousands arrive daily at Italian and Greek shores. Some drown before they arrive, while others die in traffickers’ sardine-can lorries. For those who do make it through, there's tear-gas, attacks and potential detention. But [...]
Greek debt crisis: As Greece returns to the polls, anyone that cares for the country must hope voters reject radicalism August 21, 2015 After a seven-month roller-coaster, Greece received the first €13bn tranche of the latest €86bn bailout this week, allowing it to pay its €3.2bn debt to the European Central Bank and its immediate domestic obligations. Almost simultaneously, Alexis Tsipras announced his resignation, prompting a fresh set of elections. The news is no surprise. Since the spectacular [...]
Greek debt crisis: The bailout alone will not save Greece now and time is running out for Alexis Tsipras August 12, 2015 A significant step forward was achieved yesterday, with the technical agreement fleshing out the €85bn deal made by Greece and its Eurozone partners last month. The three-year plan involves some 35 measures, from further taxes and cuts, to reforms and privatisations, lowering of pensions and farmer subsidies, to rises in retirement age and VAT rates [...]
