Democracy

Syriza’s victory in Greece once again raises a crucial question for Europe in the coming months: can a leftist policy be followed in the eurozone without changing the treaties or monetary rules now in force? It is renewing the discussions which divide the left in France and elsewhere in Europe about the virtues of the euro and the margins for manoeuvre of left-wing governments in a common monetary zone.

Inequality is back on the agenda. French economist Thomas Piketty has drawn attention to it again with his book Capital in the Twenty-First Century, and that is a good thing. Green and Left-wing parties are drooling over the book, but I have heard few suggestions as to how we should fundamentally tackle that inequality. To do that, we need an idea from a completely different world.

“Marx is often judged on what he did not know, but we need to look at what he has to offer. He was an economist, sociologist, political scientist, historian, philosopher and philosopher of science. He was truly an omnipotent genius and remains relevant to a huge number of issues,” according to political economist Angela Wigger.

The debate around the referendum on Scottish independence has highlighted serious flaws in the current system of representation which many feel alienated from. Regardless of the outcome, the vote has presented an opportunity for far-reaching democratic reforms that would empower citizens.

Has the rise of new media helped to strengthen democracy in Turkey, where press freedom has long been in a fragile state? Or have the new trends, technologies and channels been co-opted by authorities to use for their own ends, as an updated instrument of the party? Despite the potential of new media, the events following last year’s protests in Turkey do not give us cause for optimism in this regard.

Despite the lack of a proportional electoral system, Britain is now a multi-party country, with the Greens becoming a powerful force. Yet the major media organisations are planning to exclude the Green Party of England and Wales from next year’s televised election debates for the General Election. It’s a dangerous situation for democracy in the UK, with over a million Green voters marginalised…

With hard-right parties on the rise across Europe, Greens can learn from this recent surge in ‘populism’ by developing a positive and inclusive conception of the term. A Grand Narrative about a ‘Europe of hearts’ can speak to people directly and produce a different kind of patriotism to that of the nationalists: Europatriotism.

Scotland has voted No in the referendum on independence, but the outcome was close, relative to expectations at the start of the campaign. The closeness of the vote, as well as the reasons cited by so many in Scotland for voting ‘Yes’, show that the ‘United Kingdom compact’ is no longer fit for purpose.

Catalonia is a region with its own distinct culture and language and has long been seeking greater political autonomy. With opinion polls now showing a large majority of Catalans support self-government, and with the rise of other independence movements around Europe, pressure is mounting on Spain to deliver reform.

The following text was the basis for a speech to be delivered at the Summer University of the French Green party Europe Ecologie – Les Verts in Bordeaux in August 2014.