Eurosphere agenda: “France launches Syria anti-IS strikes
Greece’s charismatic left-wing leader Alexis Tsipras emerged victorious in Greece’s general election Sunday (20 September), winning his second mandate as premier, despite a controversial austerity deal struck with European leaders.
Press comments on the Continent openly betray editorial lines – impartiality on the new Labour leader has proved nigh on impossible.
Jeremy Corbyn. Demotix/Guy Corbishley. All rights reserved.When I was invited by openDemocracy to produce an account of Europe’s reactions to Jeremy Corbyn’s appointment as Labour leader, I thought this would be an opportunity to highlight attitudes towards anti-austerity measures. In my brief report, you’ll see how left-leaning publications rejoiced at Corbyn’s success; and how conservative ones kept quiet, their dismissiveness appearing rather ill-concealed.
Greek elections: a bail-in vote in search of political capital
Tsipras and his party may win on the ticket of softening austerity. But their highest playing card is the fear that Syriza’s defeat will restore the old regime.
Pablo Iglesias, Ska Keller, Pierre Laurent, Alexis Tsipras and Gregor Gysi (From left to right) wave to the crowd from the stage at the election rally in Athens. Demotix/Michael Debets. All rights reserved.
The chloropicrin agent used as a popular pesticide belongs historically to the same family of toxic irritants used in tear gas attacks against refugees.This is not an innocent coincidence.
The Corbynite portrayal of Thatcher’s ‘Fundi’ rise to power is inexact.
Flickr/ Quixotic54. Some rights reserved.Margaret Thatcher has emerged as the model for Jeremy Corbyn’s ‘Idealist’ bid to be leader of the Labour party. George Monbiot, The Guardian columnist and supporter of the Green party, endorsed Ian Sinclair’s championing of Thatcher’s Idealism as an example of what can be achieved by an unpopular but principled politician who stands for ‘core values’. This is contrasted with the ‘Blairite Realism’ of ‘spin’ and the pursuit of votes.
Martin Schulz is exploring ways to include the European Parliament in assessing the Greek bailout, a source close to the president told EurActiv Greece.
Hungary has shut its border to Serbia completely. So the refugees head towards Croatia instead (and Croatia then closes its border), and if the refugees do succeed they may need to cross minefields. Then fears are raised in Slovenia that the refugees might well head there – its PM Miro Cerar says the country will not enable a transit route. I’d think it is then only a matter of time before a route is found to the east of the border fence through Romania and into Hungary.
Unlike the former colonial powers, Central European states have little experience of co-existing with people of different cultures. But in refusing to help, they undermine the solidarity that other nations have shown towards them, write politicians, artists and intellectuals from Central Europe.
Ex-prime minister Alexis Tsipras’s left-wing Syriza party and the conservative New Democracy led by Evangelis Meimarakis are neck and neck in the polls in the run-up to the Greek elections on Sunday. Economic plight is written on the wall no matter who wins, some commentators write. Others fear that the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party will dominate the opposition.
After a decade of lobby scandals and debate on how to secure transparency and ethics, the European Commission needs to go beyond half measures now more than ever.
The fact that Syriza was crucified more often and with more intensity than Viktor Orbán speaks volumes in itself. It is just that most people do not want to listen.
Tsipras consolidates power in Greek election
After Hungary shut down its border with Serbia on Tuesday, frustrations have erupted into clashes between Hungarian police and those trying to cross the border.