Will Syriza set example for all not happy with austerity in EU?

Visit of the President of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, to Athens following the legislative election and meeting with Alexis Tsipras, Prime Minister of Greece, on January 29, 2015

Will Syriza’s victory change the EU’s austerity policy – and will the persistently defiant Alexis Tsipras set an example for all those who aren’t happy with Angela Merkel’s harsh course of auterity for Europe?

Syriza, the far left-wing and anti-austerity party in Greece led by Alexis Tsipras, nearly gained the majority during the national elections on January 25.

This historic victory is seen as a starting point of a new era of anti-austerity policies in the EU. However, the big question whether Greece will have to repay its debts – or not – is still unanswered.

Greece’s public debt is at around 320 billion euros and represents more than 170 percent of its national domestic product.

And the newly installed prime minister vowed to renegotiate the bailout and raise public spending.

Is it possible that a similar populist backlash is building up in Spain, Italy and elsewhere? Renegotiations, however, are easier promised than delivered.

Listen to the complete podcast of this Euranet Plus story in Croatian below

• Listen to more Croatian podcasts by Euranet Plus station HRT Radio
  Može li Alexis Tsipras mijenjati zacrtane politike štednje u Europskoj uniji? Kako pobjeda Syrize utječa na druge stranke u Europi i znači li njezina pobjeda da etablirane političke elite gube bitku s novim radikalnim snagama?

Have your say

• Twitter: Discuss and re-tweet our Tweets …
  

  #EUpressreview Regime of sanctions on Russia should be linked to implementation of Minsk agreement http://t.co/wvioNlRDI4 via @EuranetPlusHR

  — Euranet Plus (@EuranetPlus) January 26, 2015

• Facebook: Share and discuss our posts …

Suggested Euranet Plus stories

• Divided on Russia, EU countries agree on minimum statement |January 29, 2015 | Euranet Plus News Agency | English
  EU foreign ministers held an emergency meeting in Brussels to agree on new sanctions on Russia following the recent escalation of the conflict in Eastern Ukraine. However, the EU countries failed to keep a united front since the newly elected government in Greece has opposed more restrictive measures.

• Greek elections: Syriza is ready to make some concessions | January 27, 2015 | Euranet Plus News Agency U Talking to Me? debate video series| English
  Syriza, the far left-wing and anti-austerity party in Greece led by Alexis Tsipras, nearly gained the majority during the national elections last Sunday (January 25). A victory that could be the starting point of a new era of anti-austerity policies in the EU. However, the big question whether Greece will have to pay its debt or not is still out there and Syriza will have to deal with its EU partners and creditors. During our weekly program “U talking To me?”, Kostas Chrysogonos, member of the Syriza party and of the European United Left at the European Parliament, said that Syriza is ready to make concessions.