Mediterranean Left-Wing Populism: The Case of SYRIZA

Abstract

Until recently the increasing impact of the right-wing populist parties in Europe was quite impressing. Several of these parties gained significant electoral power but expediently they collapsed while others were consecrated electorally. With SYRIZA’s electoral victory in Greece, the emergence of PODEMOS in Spain and of the Five Star Movement in Italy - which includes several aspects of a left-wing populism - and the coalition between social-democrats and radical left in Portugal, the creation of a peculiar left populism has been evolved, especially in the Mediterranean part of Europe. High electoral percentages and consequently, their involvement in government through partisan organization professionalism and charismatic leadership, are main characteristics of these parties. Another crucial factor, regardless of their ideological roots, is the anti-European rhetoric, even if it existed only for some period in the past. For instance, SYRIZA in Greece, intensely criticized the present European structure but at the same time promised that Greece will remain to the EU and the Eurozone. Furthermore, it appeared as a political entity that promised, with a demagogic way, to overcome the obvious principle of state continuation, by denying to implement the agreement that the previous governments have signed with Greece’s partners. Eventually, this promise was converted into a trap as left-wing SYRIZA in government, was finally succumbed to the strong demand for adherence and implementation of all the previous agreements. Thus, SYRIZA failed both ideologically and practically. Apart from the diverse ideological and political illusions that characterize this type of populism, another characteristic is the deficit in specific policy substance. This deficit has been transformed into a large gap in terms of strategic program priorities and options. Thus, it turns out that SYRIZA’s rise to power was based on versatility and on a high degree of classless ideological ambiguity. Obviously, this fact is contrary to SYRIZA’s past “left political verbosity” that considered Greek people as a single collective alliance against specific financial and political international obligations. Therefore, SYRIZA represents a new specialty of Greek and Mediterranean populism that requires deeper investigation.