Populism

Ten days after Donald Trump's win in the US presidential election, the government is shifting its focus from what it will mean for bilateral relations to a more complicated question: Will "Trumpism," a shorthand for right-wing populism, also become influential in Greek politics and threaten mainstream conservatism as embraced by most, but not all, ruling New Democracy politicians?

The reverberations from Donald Trump's recent re-election have reached Greece, stirring the internal dynamics of the ruling New Democracy party. Trump's resounding victory has sparked a fresh debate among Greek conservatives over whether a shift to the right is necessary to secure their political dominance. 

Wednesday did not dawn with the results of yet another US election contest. No. It dawned with the triumph and absolute hegemony of a charismatic populist political leader, and the complete and spectacular failure of the elite who for decades ruled the two major parties, the media, the major universities and the traditional part of Wall Street.

Rosen Plevneliev, who served as Bulgaria's president from 2012 to 2017, expressed skepticism about the prospects of forming a regular government following the early parliamentary elections in October. In an interview with BGNES, he revealed his concerns about the current political landscape in the country, particularly regarding the upcoming election of the Speaker of the National Assembly.

The most convenient interpretation is that SYRIZA won the elections 10 years ago as an anti-austerity party rather than a left-wing one. This, the theory goes, led to a gradual loss of support as the party adjusted to fiscal realism and European rationalism.

Austria's far-right Freedom Party, a party rooted in Nazi ideology, just celebrated an unprecedented election victory on Sunday night, with its leader talking about a new era for the far right. This is seen as another worrying sign for Europe, as a surge by populist far-right forces shows no sign of slowing down.

Final negotiations are under way in New York for this month's Summit of the Future, where Heads of State will agree on reforms to the building blocks of global cooperation. The United Nations has convened this unique summit because of a stark fact: Global problems are moving faster than the institutions designed to solve them.

With the government on the defensive and looking for initiatives that will bring drifting voters back, the two biggest opposition parties are distracted by internal turmoil.

The situation appears to be more serious in the main opposition party, SYRIZA, whose central committee meets Saturday.

Will the outcome of the elections in France and the UK trigger a wave of support for progressive forces across Europe as a whole? There are some important differences between the two countries that need to be noted. In the UK, extreme populism and promises of magical solutions were tried and they failed dismally.

Antisystemic forces are sending shockwaves through mature democracies in the Western world. Compared to them, Greece is like an oasis of calm. In order to maintain this status quo, however, the country needs to deal with the social problems and inequalities that act as fuel for populism.