Anti-austerity movement

This article deals primarily with the phenomenon of opposition to austerity measures currently being undertaken worldwide, especially in Europe.
100,000 anti-austerity protesters in front of the Greek parliament in 2011

The anti-austerity movement refers to the mobilisation of street protests and grassroots campaigns that has happened across various countries, especially in Europe, since the onset of the worldwide Great Recession.

Anti-austerity actions are varied and ongoing, and can be either sporadic and loosely organised or longer-term and tightly organised. They continue as of the present day. The global Occupy movement has arguably been the most noticeable physical enactment of anti-austerity and populist sentiment.

Ireland

An examples of countries implementing severe austerity measures include Ireland. Ireland witnessed its housing market completely (rather than, as elsewhere, partially) collapse, and the government eventually had to apply for a bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), in exchange for agreeing to an austerity programme and economic reform. The austerity measures and the terms of the IMF bailout became major aspects of the Irish financial crisis, and popular anger over these issues played a major role in the loss of governmental power of Fianna Fáil to opposition parties in the 2011 Irish general election. The loss was for Fianna Fáil was so great that many commentators remarked that the results were "historic". Fine Gael and the Labour Party formed a coalition government, and Fine Gael promised to re-negotiate the terms of the IMF bailout end the austerity programme.[1] Sinn Féin, which for the first time won a notable percentage in the election, called for a nationwide referendum over whether the bailout agreement should be scrapped altogether. Labour dismissed this idea.[2] Members of smaller parties, such as the Socialists, People Before Profit Alliance, the WUAG and Independents involved themselves in the Campaign Against Home and Water Taxes.[3]

Political impact

Since the onset of the economic recession in Europe, the political establishment response has increasingly focused on austerity: attempts to bring down budget deficits and control the rise of debt.[4] The anti-austerity movement has responded by giving rise to a wave of anti-establishment political parties.[5] Opposition to austerity is seen as the force behind the rise of Podemos in Spain, Italy's Five Star Movement and the Syriza party in Greece.[6]

Ahead of the Scottish independence referendum in 2014, the Scottish Government pledged to end austerity in an independent Scotland.[7]

Economist Thomas Piketty welcomed the political reaction to austerity, saying the rise of anti-austerity parties is "good news for Europe". According to Piketty, European countries tried to get rid of their deficits too quickly, resulting in a situation where "their citizens have suffered the consequences in the shape of austerity policies. It's good to reduce deficits, but at a rate that's commensurate with growth and economic recovery, but here growth has been killed off."[8]

Examples

Flag commonly used in demonstrations against austerity in Quebec in 2015 and 2016

Perspectives

Some economists, like Nobel Prize winning Princeton economist Paul Krugman, who argue that austerity measures tend to be counterproductive when applied to the populations and programs they are usually applied to.[51] The fact that the political sphere has been so heavily influenced by a paper known as "Growth in a Time of Debt" based on flawed methodology has led Krugman to argue:[52]

What the Reinhart–Rogoff affair shows is the extent to which austerity has been sold on false pretenses. For three years, the turn to austerity has been presented not as a choice but as a necessity. Economic research, austerity advocates insisted, showed that terrible things happen once debt exceeds 90 percent of G.D.P. But "economic research" showed no such thing; a couple of economists made that assertion, while many others disagreed. Policy makers abandoned the unemployed and turned to austerity because they wanted to, not because they had to.

In October 2012, the International Monetary Fund announced that its forecasts for countries which implemented austerity programs have been consistently overoptimistic.[53]

References

  1. "Enda Kenny and Eamon Gilmore will renegotiate EU bailout". IrishCentral.com. 8 March 2011.
  2. "Bacik dismisses Sinn Féin calls for bailout referendum". Irish Examiner. 14 March 2011. Retrieved 14 March 2011.
  3. "Campaign against property tax plans launched". RTÉ News. 22 December 2011. Retrieved 22 December 2011.
  4. "The consequences of the politics of austerity in the European Union". Retrieved 14 January 2015.
  5. "Anti-austerity movements gaining momentum across Europe". The Guardian. 27 April 2012. Retrieved 14 January 2015.
  6. "From fringe to spotlight: European austerity breeds radical politics". The Globe and Mail. 5 November 2014. Retrieved 14 January 2015.
  7. "Scottish independence: Post-Yes Scotland 'to end austerity'". BBC News. 16 June 2014. Retrieved 14 January 2015.
  8. "Thomas Piketty: rise of anti-austerity parties good news for Europe". The Guardian. 12 January 2015. Retrieved 14 January 2015.
  9. "Στα χνάρια των Ισπανών αγανακτισμένων (On the footsteps of the Spanish 'indignados')" (in Greek). www.skai.gr. 26 May 2011. Retrieved 26 May 2011.
  10. "300.000 πολίτες στο κέντρο της Αθήνας!" (in Greek). www.skai.gr. 5 June 2011. Retrieved 5 June 2011.
  11. "Αγανακτισμένοι": Πρωτοφανής συμμετοχή σε Αθήνα και άλλες πόλεις (in Greek). www.skai.gr. 5 June 2011. Archived from the original on 17 July 2011. Retrieved 5 June 2011.
  12. "Greece passes key austerity vote". www.bbc.co.uk. 29 June 2011. Archived from the original on 30 June 2011. Retrieved 29 June 2011.
  13. Siddique, Haroon; Batty, David (29 June 2011). "Greece austerity vote and demonstrations - Wednesday 29 June 2011". London: www.guardian.co.uk. Archived from the original on 29 June 2011. Retrieved 1 July 2011.
  14. Smith, Helena (1 July 2011). "Greek police face investigation after protest violence". London: www.guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 3 July 2011.
  15. "TEAR GAS FIRED AS GREEK POLICE CLASH WITH ATHENS PROTESTERS". www.amnesty.org. Retrieved 30 June 2011.
  16. "GREECE URGED NOT TO USE EXCESSIVE FORCE DURING PROTESTS". www.amnesty.org. Retrieved 30 June 2011.
  17. "Back when peaceful demonstrations in Greece were massive and meaningful...". www.ireport.cnn.com. Retrieved 3 July 2011.
  18. Donadio, Rachel; Sayare, Scott (29 June 2011). "Violent Clashes in the Streets of Athens". www.nytimes.com. Retrieved 3 July 2011.
  19. Επιστρέφουν στην Πλατεία Συντάγματος οι Αγανακτισμένοι για να εμποδίσουν την ψήφιση του βασικού εφαρμοστικού νόμου (in Greek). Retrieved 30 June 2011.
  20. Πλήγμα για την Ελλάδα το βομβαρδισμένο κέντρο (in Greek). Retrieved 30 June 2011.
  21. "Απομακρύνθηκαν οι "Αγανακτισμένοι" από τον Λευκό Πύργο". www.protothema.gr. Retrieved 9 August 2011.
  22. "Movimiento 15-M: los ciudadanos exigen reconstruir la política (15-M Movement: citizens demand political reconstruction)". Politica.elpais.com. 2011-05-17. Archived from the original on 22 May 2011. Retrieved 2011-05-22.
  23. "Portugal PM Jose Socrates resigns after budget rejected". BBC News. 23 March 2011.
  24. "Doctors want halt to NHS plans but reject opposition". BBC. 15 March 2011.
  25. "NHS Direct Action". nhsdirectaction.co.uk.
  26. "38 Degrees - Save the NHS: Petition". 38 Degrees.
  27. "Health sector - campaigns". unitetheunion.org.
  28. Mulholland, Hélène (2010-12-09). "Lib Dem parliamentary aide quits over tuition fees as MPs prepare to vote". guardian.co.uk (London: Guardian News and Media). Retrieved 2011-01-04.
  29. "This Thursday will be one of the most important days in Parliament since the election, as MPs vote on the Government's plans for university tuition fees. - Leicester Mercury". Leicester Mercury.
  30. "California university students protest tuition hikes". CNN. 18 November 2009.
  31. "Latest Suspects Wanted For Violent Disorder And Affray". Daily Mail (London). 20 March 2011.
  32. "Student protests: Radio failure claims rejected". BBC News. 11 December 2010.
  33. ABC News. "British Prince Charles Royal Car Attacked Thanks to Luck, Photographer Says - ABC News". ABC News.
  34. Davies, Caroline (25 March 2011). "Charlie Gilmour to stand trial over attack on royal convoy". The Guardian (London).
  35. "Italian student protesters occupy Leaning Tower of Pisa". BBC News. 25 November 2010.
  36. http://www.thirdage.com/news/dublin-unions-protest-harsh-austerity-plan_11-27-2010
  37. http://budget.breakingnews.ie/news/protesters-target-dail-over-cuts-484837.html
  38. "Italian cuts spark fight at the opera for La Scala". BBC News. 8 December 2010.
  39. Kyriakidou, Dina (4 August 2010). "In Greece you get a bonus for showing up for work - Arcane benefits add billions to Greece’s bloated budget". Toronto: thestar.com. Retrieved 29 September 2010.
  40. "Riots in Greece as austerity measures start to bite". Austerity Bill. 23 February 2011.
  41. Taylor, Matthew (14 March 2011). "Anti-cuts campaigners plan 'carnival of civil disobedience'". The Guardian (London).
  42. "Home Secretary Theresa May condemns protest 'thugs'". BBC News. 28 March 2011.
  43. "State workers in Greece hold strike to protest layoffs". Greek Herald. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
  44. Roche, Barry; McGreevy, Ronan (17 November 2014). "‘Disgraceful’ treatment of Tánaiste effectively ‘kidnapping’, says Taoiseach". The Irish Times. Retrieved 17 November 2014.
  45. "International Women's Day Attacks Austerity in Québec". www.lifeinquebec.com. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  46. Couturier, Eve-Lyne. "7 milliards ça fait beaucoup". iris-recherche.qc.ca. IRIS. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  47. 1 2 Tremblay-Pepin, Simon; Couturier, Eve-Lyne. "Les mesures d'austérité et les femmes: analyse des documents budgétaires depuis novembre 2008" (PDF). iris-recherche.qc.ca. IRIS. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
  48. Couturier, Eve-Lyne. "Austerity has cost Quebec women nearly $7 billion". rabble.ca. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
  49. 1 2 Levesque, Lia. "Les politiques d'austérité du gouvernement Couillard pénalisent plus les femmes". quebec.huffingtonpost.ca. La Presse Canadienne. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  50. "German activists riot at austerity protest in Frankfurt". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 18 Mar 2015.
  51. Krugman, Paul (1 July 2010). "Myths of Austerity". The New York Times.
  52. Paul Krugman The Excel Depression. The New York Times. April 18, 2013
  53. Brad Plumer (October 12, 2012) "IMF: Austerity is much worse for the economy than we thought" Washington Post
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