By Muhammad Abrahim Shah '17

On January 25^th 2015, Greece’s left-wing party Syriza was voted into power in a country that has long been ravaged by the great recession and the Eurozone crisis that has plagued Europe for more than five years now. Syriza’s leader, Alexis Tsipras, ran on a platform of anti-austerity measures; he sought to carry out government intervention to rectify the country’s sluggish economic growth and high unemployment rate (over 25%). The election of Tsipras and his party sent alarm bells ringing in the capitals of the Euro countries as the possibility of a showdown of Greece with the “troika” of the European Commission, European Central Bank, and the International Monetary Fund suddenly seemed to be fast becoming a reality.

The rise of the Syriza party comes in the wake of the devastation and destitution caused by the Eurozone crisis and the austerity measures of the previous government, which had to deal with a national debt that was as high as 300% of Greece’s GDP. These austerity measures saw Greece plagued by massive unemployment as the economy slowed and Greeks were forced out of work. The abject conditions led to the subsequent rise of the Syriza and Alexis Tsipras; this same rise brings to the forefront some crucial issues that will shape the future of Europe.

The growing power of the left-wing Syriza in the backdrop of the great recession is in sharp contrast to the rise of fascist and right-wing parties after the great depression wreaked havoc in the Europe of the 1930s. Europe saw the rise of Hitler in Germany, Benito Mussolini in Italy, and Francisco Franco in Spain. These right-wing parties exploited the poverty that the depression created; this highlights how both the great recession of 2007 and the Eurozone crisis of 2008 have in fact led to the growth of a left-wing party in Europe.Syriza’s rise must also be seen in contrast with the resurgence of right-wing elements in European countries that are taking the shape of Patriotic Europeans against the Islamization of the West (PEGIDA) and other right-wing parties coming into power in countries such as Croatia and Belarus. At a time when France is still reeling in the aftermath of ‘their 9/11’ (the Charlie Hebdo carnage) and attacks against foreign immigrants are on the rise in countries such as Greece, the rise of a left-wing party provides a stark counter weight to these rightist elements. This contrast will surely play a huge part in the future of the European Union and in the politics of individual countries.Syriza is not the only leftist party on the rise in Europe. Spain, another country that has fared significantly worse than other European nations from the economic crisis, sees the rise of the leftist Podemos (“We can” in Spanish). The rhetoric of the Podemos leader, Pablo Iglesias, is highly similar to that of Alexis Tsipras in Greece. This re-emergence of the left in Europe will play a very significant role in how the future of Europe is determined, particularly as Europe approaches a crossroads. With elections scheduled in England in May and demands for Scottish and Catalan independence very much a part of the continental discourse, the rise of leftist thought in European politics and its confrontation with the right is sure to significantly affect events in Europe and determine its future. Sources:http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/27/world/europe/greek-election-reflects-a-deep-divide-in-europe.html?_r=0http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-08/spain-s-post-franco-elite-under-attack-from-podemos-risehttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/11433072/Troika-raises-fresh-concerns-over-Greeces-last-ditch-debt-deal.htmlhttp://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2015/jan/20/greece-election-2015-the-politics-and-economics-in-numbers