Crucible of Resistance: Greece, the Eurozone and the World Economic Crisis

Syriza's victory in the recent Greek general election shook the foundations of the Western political establishment and gave hope to the millions suffering the austerity measures imposed by the European Troika. Millions asked, how did this happen and what is it about Greece that created such a centre of radicalism? This insider's account, from Syriza's Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos and economist Christos Laskos, shows that that the narrative of Greek exceptionalism is a myth. The blame game that has been played by the EU powers is an ideological tool used to shift attention from the disillusionment and anger at the European and global capitalist economic order. By alienating an entire nation of people, the Troika has revealed the internal contradictions of the modern neoliberal establishment, as well as the inadequacies of the earlier social-democratic Keynesian regime. Tsakalotos and Laskos suggest that there is very little that differentiates Greece from other countries struggling under austerity, and that parties such as Syriza could usher in a new, democratic and socialist era across the continent.

Table of Contents:
List of figures and tables Introduction: The Greek Crisis In Context 1. Neo-Liberalism As Modernization 2. The Greek Economy And Society On The Eve Of The Crisis 3. The Eurozone Crisis In Context 4. From Crisis To Permanent Austerity 5. The Underdogs Strike Back 6. Out Of The Mire: Arguments Within The Greek Left Notes Index

About the Author :
Christos Laskos is an economist, teacher and co-author, with Euclid Tsakalotos, of Crucible of Resistance (Pluto, 2013). He is a member of the political secretariat of SYRIZA, the Greek radical left party. Euclid Tsakalotos was the Finance Minister in the Greek Syriza government, and Professor of Economics at the University of Athens. He is the co-author, with Christos Laskos Crucible of Resistance (Pluto, 2013).

Review :
This book could not be more timely. The portrayal of Greece as a 'special case' is a symptom of Europe's continued denial that there is something rotten in its own foundations. This book is a clarion warning that the strangling of Greece is symptomatic of the fragmentation of a Europe based on a particular neoliberal settlement, which is now in its death throes. When Europe recognises that Greece is no special case, it will have a chance of preventing its own descent to a postmodern 1930s. -- Yanis Varoufakis, Professor of Economics, University of Athens and Visiting Professor, Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, University of Texas; author of The Global Minotaur: America, Europe and the Future of the Global Economy This book gives us a clear account of how Greece and the eurozone got into such a mess. It makes clear that the crisis is not only economic, but also one of growing regional and social inequalities and the retreat of democracy. More important still, the authors bring to the fore what the emerging radical left in Greece and elsewhere can do to get us out of the crisis. -- Alexis Tsipras, head of Syriza (Coalition of the Radical Left) and Leader of the Opposition in the Greek parliament The future of democracy in Greece is a matter for all of us in Europe. Laskos and Tsakalotos take us behind the headlines about 'bailouts' and 'crisis' and share with us both the challenges and the alternatives which Greeks are creating as they resist: from networks of solidarity to a new kind of political party with a strongly European perspective. Essential reading in the decisive months ahead. -- Hilary Wainwright, Co-editor of Red Pepper, author of Reclaim the State: Experiments in Popular Democracy Superb... With a methodological approach that moves us away from a purely national explanation of the crisis and its response, and with a continually rich body of empirical detail throughout, this volume is simply a must-read for those who want to truly understand how we got here, and what is to be done in pursuing a more progressive response than currently dominates the political landscape. -- Jamie Jordan, Political Studies Review