European Union

Greece could need another bailout as workers go on offensive

27 August 2013
The crisis in Greece was back at the centre of European politics last week—just as workers began a new round of mass strikes.

European Union extends its austerity deadline to defuse fury

04 June 2013

Austerity fuels protests in Europe

24 July 2012
Stock markets plummeted this week as the economic crisis deepened across Europe.

New eurozone deal—but it won't solve fundamental problems

03 July 2012
Europe’s leaders struck another bailout deal last week. It allows the use of European rescue funds to directly prop up ailing Spanish banks.

No more bailouts for the bankers

19 June 2012
Across Europe ordinary people’s money is being used to bail out the bankers and the rich.

Booms and busts get bigger

22 May 2012
One reason why European rulers are so keen on the euro is that it is meant to unite individual European economies into a larger bloc. But why does size matter?

Eurozone turmoil spreads to Spain

22 May 2012
Could Spain be the next eurozone domino to fall? With a near-run on one of its biggest banks, Bankia, last week, market chaos has become the norm.

Tensions simmer as G8 leaders try to find a way out of the crisis

22 May 2012
As world leaders gathered for the G8 summit at Camp David, the US presidential countryside retreat, they were all smiles for the cameras. But there were tensions behind the lens.

Germany: the odd man out inside a surging European left

22 May 2012
The biggest demonstration in Germany since the onset of the crisis took place last Saturday.

We can stop austerity—and change the world

08 May 2012
Election results in Greece and France have sent our rulers into a panic. They insist that austerity—savage programmes of cuts, job losses and privatisation—is the only cure for Europe’s ailing economies.

Austerity backfires on Europe's rulers

24 April 2012
The political crisis faced by the ruling classes of Europe deepened this week.

Size does matter if Spain goes Greek

17 April 2012
Alex Callinicos recently argued in these pages that the global economic crisis is far from over. The ink had hardly dried on his words when the crisis in Spain started growing to "Greek" proportions.

Huge strike hits Portugal as eurozone misery spreads

27 March 2012
Portugal’s transport system was paralysed by a public sector general strike on Thursday of last week. Workers were taking action against labour reforms and austerity measures imposed by the country’s creditors.

Workers protests rattle European leaders

24 January 2012
Governments across Europe are set on imposing cuts that will wreck lives, slash jobs and destroy services. But resistance is spreading.

The eurozone’s not so happy new year

03 January 2012
New Year cheer is in short supply judging by the latest statements from European leaders. Germany’s chancellor Angela Merkel, France’s president Nicolas Sarkozy and Italy’s president Giorgio Napolitano all began the year by warning of more pain to come.