Madrid, Saturday, May 21, 2011, the photo shows thousands of Spaniards that express their anger at political parties and the country's handling of the economic crisis. The Puerta del Sol square has been invaded since last Sunday and the crowd are pledged to stay until after municipal and regional elections.
Newspapers have in the past week raised my concern for the Spanish people. After reading articles in The Guardian and Svenska Dagbladet and watching the BBC news, I could not ignore the Spanish peoples concern which forest me to post this post in hope of raising further awareness in the Spanish recent local elections, voters have had enough of the present prime minister and Euro crisis. Spain experience an increases in the gap between its people and country.
Furthermore as local elections ended in a landslide victory for the center-right Popular Party, this is a warning that the Socialist government is about to loose the next election. Parliamentary elections must be held within ten months. The election results were a sign that many Spaniards have suffered and that there is a concern for the future, said Prime Minister Jose Luis Zapatero.
The election campaign was framed, not least of the protests in Madrid's central square, Puerta del Sol. The demonstration can be seen as an inspiration of the Arab spring, and its public meetings. However the parallels between Puerta del Sol and Tahrir Square in Cairo is offensive, as in the Arab spring people risk their lives for their believes while the spanish protesters where just calling for their disappointment of the established political parties.
With unemployment at 20 percent and twice as high youth unemployment, there is an unstable basis for dissatisfaction in Spain. In Portugal, there have been large demonstrations, but in the bottom league Greece is worse both in terms of reform inertia and protests from the public. Unlike the financial crisis i countries in northern Europe such as Estonia and Latvia there is no sense of adherence to the nation in the current financial crisis in the Mediterranean countries.
It is obvious tough to clean up after years of misdemeanors. Nevertheless, there are no simple solutions, it's impossible to wish away the problems, nor to put the blame on the euro. While it's also a populist way that would attract many and which creates a widening gap with the EU and the European ideal.
Really disturbing is the equivalent of no confidence lawsuit against the European idea is not only occurring in PIIGS countries that need assistance but also in the euro countries, made up with help. One example is the successful party the “True Finns” in Finland, (where the willingness to pay is zero), and who became the third largest party in the recently held election. The success for the True Finns' was partly rooted in the requirement that Finland would not contribute to EU economic assistance to Portugal. Similar views from other populist parties can become clean plague over Europe.
In Germany, forced Merkel into a balancing act on the one hand, bring a responsible policy on the euro and, on the other hand, face a growing reluctance among the population that constantly come to the rescue of Europe's weak economies. It will prove to be negative in the next parliamentary elections and it cost the CDU government in recent state elections in Baden Württemberg. For the euro area it is up to politicians to resist public opinion even if it costs on. To date, well-managed EU Euro misery pretty well, but the crisis may not be open so that the support mechanism in practice becoming a permanent support to crisis countries.
Lisbon Treaty is a step towards a more integrated Europe that large public opinion all over Europe does not wish to expand. Now the crisis for the euro even tensions the barrier between people and countries. Also I thought the whole point of democracy is that it does what the people want and not what the powerful elites want. But this is just an other prof that it do not work.
Inga kommentarer:
Skicka en kommentar