debating progressive politics in Europe and beyond
Two myths about a Greek exit from the euro have recently gained traction. Both are misguided and both are extremely dangerous. Here are the reasons why. After the Greek parties failed to form a government and the country now heads towards new elections in June, everyone is talking about a possible exit of Greece from [...]
Everybody is saying it: Greece will go under and probably the euro with it. Indeed, not just on the Eurosceptic right but on the left too it has become oddly fashionable to welcome Greece’s exit from the euro. This is dangerous nonsense. If Greece leaves, the euro is almost certainly doomed. Nobody can be certain [...]
The Euro endgame is now on. And for the first time since this whole saga has started I see the likelihood that something is going to give soon as higher than the whole Eurozone staying together. It is not a forgone conclusion but it is hard to see where the political impetus to decisively change course is [...]
Increasingly, one hears predictions that the euro will go the way of the gold standard in the 1930’s. And, increasingly, the reasoning behind such forecasts seems persuasive. But does that mean that the euro doomsayers are right? Following the 1929 stock market crash, Europe was hit by a massive deflationary shock. Output collapsed and unemployment [...]
The result of the Greek elections is no doubt ground-breaking. The collapse of PASOK to its pre-1980 electoral levels, the rise of the far-right to levels unimaginable since the restoration of democracy in 1974, the collapse of the traditional bi-partisanship, the elevation of the left to second place in the popular vote, are all elements [...]
As one who believes that Europe’s nation states need to move closer together and on from their past, if they are to exert influence in the world, the current times are very worrying. The EU is under threat as never before, economically from the crisis and politically as the forces of nationalism grow stronger. Since [...]
Sunday the 6th of May 2012 might become a significant date in European politics. The Greek election results and above all the election of Francois Hollande as new French President might be the start of political change in Europe. I (and others on SEJ) have argued for a long time that the Angela Merkel driven European [...]
Britain’s role in the EU under the current Cameron Government is that of a petulant child which is throwing its toys out of the pram, rather than being a constructive partner in managing the challenges we all face. A potential future for Britain in Europe seems more at risk than for a long time – [...]
Along with many others I believed that the economic and financial crisis that manifested itself in 2008 and 2009, however great the hardship it immediately caused, would usher in a more progressive politics across Europe. This proved overoptimistic, however. Instead Europe was swept by a new wave of neoliberalism that, far from being cowed by [...]
The annual spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank have provided a window onto two fundamental trends driving global politics and the world economy. Geopolitics is moving decisively away from a world dominated by Europe and the United States to one with many regional powers but no global leader. And a [...]
We are not quite in silly season yet but last week British newspapers reported the ‘barmy’ EU ruling that has prevented an award winning Kent vineyard from calling its Malbec, ‘wine’. Instead it is being forced to re-label the bottles as ‘fruit-based alcoholic beverage’. I have no idea if there is any truth in the [...]
Europe’ has been a neuralgic issue in UK politics for four decades, ever since the then Conservative prime minister, Edward Heath, took the state into the then Common Market, alongside the Republic of Ireland and Denmark. While one positive outcome of that coincident accession has been the rapprochement between Britain and Ireland, transcending a century [...]
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