The Greek Elections

The Greek Socialists (PASOK) won almost 44% of the vote last Sunday, beating out the right by almost 10% of the votes cast. The Communist Party (KKE) and the Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA) picked up 20% and 12% of the vote respectively. Center and left forces, therefore, won something just over 54% of the vote. The Greek left probably did better than expected given the relatively poor showing they made in the recent European Union elections. The Greek left hardly registered a gain in the EU elections since 2004. To be fair, there was a high abstention rate in the EU elections, and particularly so among young people.

Expectations for SYRIZA have been set artificially high, I think. It was not unreasonable to think at one point that that party might have won something close to 15% of the vote. SYRIZA won 12 seats in parliament, but it's clear that they also have disappointed their base among the youth by moving towards the political center. The rebellion in Greece last December won wide support from young people and the working class, but SYRIZA could not build on that or maintain the momentum of the rebellion. Perhaps no political party could accomplish that.

Many people on the left believe that the traditional left and social democratic parties have a resilience and consistency which the new left parties and alliances lack, or have not yet achieved. They can maneuver, sometimes quite opportunistically or pragmatically or in step with the unions and mass organizations, without appearing to zigzag. They are reliable coalition partners and are positioned to take advantage of the current capitalist crisis. I share this view.

After the recent German elections, which saw the center take a big hit, the standard bearers of American capitalism lined up to congratulate the German right and articulate their anti-worker, anti-immigrant, anti-state and anti-environmental policies. There has been no such trumpeting in the wake of the Greek elections, despite PASOK's weak record on key issues and the political corruption which afflicts it and the Greek center-right. Indeed, the capitalist press is predicting--and hoping--that PASOK will falter when it has to face reducing Greece's budget deficit and national debt. They hope that at that point a resurgent right will take power. We hope that the KKE and SYRIZA will advance in ways which compliment one another and create broad-left unity.

The capitalists should be careful. A future victory of any kind for the far-right Popular Orthodox Rally (LAOS) will set back the EU and heighten regional tensions. LAOS picked up 15 seats in parliament in last Sunday's elections. It advances at a cost to the New Democracy party now, which won 93 seats in parliament, but any future gains it makes will come at the expense o the working class, young people and immigrants. Holding the center-right and right where they are now and pushing back against them are the key steps that must be taken now.