First Days, First Decisions
Syriza has only been in power for a week, but debates are already raging inside and outside the party.
On January 25, thousands of people took to the streets of Athens to celebrate Syriza’s electoral triumph. It was a victory that seemed implausible even four years ago.
How, in that short time span, did a radical left coalition become a near-majority parliamentary force with widespread popular support?
One important element was the speed with which austerity was applied in Greece. While the erosion of labor rights and the Greek welfare state had been underway for the last twenty years, the process gained a great deal of speed since the signing of the memorandum. The abrupt attack caused immediate popular resistance.
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