Seeing like a PIG: The crisis in greece as a tale of hope and disillusionment

Abstract

Vasilaki pierces the limiting stereotypes through which economic ‘basket case’ countries are often envisaged. In recent years, the Greek response to the crisis has been widely debated by those who have seen the Greeks, along with others in the European South (Portugal, Italy and Spain, hence the acronym PIGS), as dysfunctional and old-fashioned. In stark contrast, the chapter proposes an alternative perspective which focuses on the vibrant political activism against austerity and the rise to power of the radical left-wing political party Syriza. It concludes that Syriza’s experience demonstrates why un-systemic thinking that challenges power itself, once power is seized, is essential for future social struggles.