International Relations Blog Posts

Greece and Syriza: a path to nowhere

Ignacio Moreno-Lucenilla

Greece, Syriza, Tsipras, crisis, debt, European Central Bank, bankruptcy… These are terms that have shaken the European Union as well as international order in last months. However, they are not merely words without any depth, their meaning brings ahead institutions and citizens who watch worried how the months passes and the problem is still present.  And when we thought nothing else could go, the seventh elections held in last 6 years. The polls show an expected and illogical result. There will be nothing new under the sun in this regard: Syriza wins and it means another step back for the Greek society. Is in this moment when our mind pops again thinking on the different consequences that this political chaos may have. Why I am talking about chaos? Why does it affect us? Is it as relevant as it resembles?

Set the facts in their suitable context may be mandatory. Alexis Tsipras took the office after winning the last elections in January. That triumph meant a strongly change in the European map which was commanded by moderated left and right parties. Syriza legislature has doomed the Greek population to a Marxist program completely far from European Institution's road map. Within this bailout package we could find their negative to pay the monstrous debt accumulated over the years. Although this measure was its strong point to win the elections, Syriza’s government finally failed in this position and knelt before the Troika. Europe won the first match and as reward, Greece must carry out widespread changes to business and the economy. Last Sunday, Tsipras got a solid victory, handing him 35.5% of the votes and 145 seats in the Parliament.  

After all, why did the population decide to continue in this way? A government that forced a “freezing of financial assets" and it provoked a state of collective panic in the community. Only an insane mind can maintain this situation as well a population disoriented and overtaken by events.

How this victory may affect our country and the international order? 3 points must be taken into account

Economy: The Greek situation creates a high scale of incertitude. For instance, in recent weeks, which really has worried investors has been the monetary policy decision taken by the US Federal Reserve (Fed), which has delayed any change in interest rates. In a globalized world, poor policy actions destabilize the system, and that is what Greece has made along this years. Now more than ever, Greece is bound to send a message of stability to the markets, and it is impossible with an irresponsible government characterized by disobedience and a lack of fixed direction. Who is finally affected by this disaster directed by Tsipras? Citizens, sure. Investors are in "safe mode" and prefer not to risk until new economic indicators yield better results. Syriza hinders the economic growth in fact, not in abstracts terms but in real consequences.

Military bases: Syriza does not  want to install new NATO bases in its territory. This decision directly affects US interests, which find in Greece a superb area to control entry to Russia and the Middle East.

Refugees: Financial troubles are not isolated in Greece. We must add thousands of migrants and refugees landing here on their way to other parts of Europe. Greek Aegean islands as Lesbos, Kos, Samos and Chios are overwhelmed with the massive influx of refugees daily, due to its proximity to the coast of Turkey. Tsipras advocates immigration crisis management made arguing that his government creating a Ministry of Immigration, who also managed, with the support of Italy, holding two European summits on the issue and chartered a ship to transport refugees from the islands to the Athenian port of Piraeus. Who can afford it? There are so many problems to an almost-failed European state.

Jens Bastian said: “I think this election tells Europe that they better find a way to deal with him, because he is not going anywhere soon” But, what kind of Syriza are we going to face now? The new one? The old one? The one that prefers pay the debt? The one that prefer be unruled? Many questions and no so much answers. However, only one thing can describe the current situation: instability, which is the only word that our world needs to forget.