In recent years, European leaders have focused relentlessly on fiscal austerity and structural reform, despite serious social and political repercussions. Unless they rethink their approach, the radical Syriza party's recent victory in Greece will be just one more step toward a future of social fragmentation and political instability.
WASHINGTON, DC – Over the last five years, the eurozone has, without explicit popular consent, maintained a strict policy focus on fiscal austerity and structural reforms – despite serious social repercussions, not only in the Mediterranean periphery and Ireland, but even in a “core" European Union country like France. Unless eurozone leaders rethink their approach, the radical Syriza party's success in Greece's recent general election could turn out to be just one more step toward a future of social fragmentation and political instability in Europe. Or it could mark the beginning of a realistic and beneficial re-orientation of Europe's economic strategy.
WASHINGTON, DC – Over the last five years, the eurozone has, without explicit popular consent, maintained a strict policy focus on fiscal austerity and structural reforms – despite serious social repercussions, not only in the Mediterranean periphery and Ireland, but even in a “core" European Union country like France. Unless eurozone leaders rethink their approach, the radical Syriza party's success in Greece's recent general election could turn out to be just one more step toward a future of social fragmentation and political instability in Europe. Or it could mark the beginning of a realistic and beneficial re-orientation of Europe's economic strategy.