Guardian UK: Europe's elites feel the backlash

[marmar]

Europe's elites feel the backlash
A crisis of legitimacy looms as Europe's voters rebel against deficit-cutting diktats delivered in the name of the eurozone

Ian Traynor, Europe editor
guardian.co.uk, Monday 23 April 2012


For over two years, the mainstream political elites of Europe have been battling to save the single currency, seeking its salvation in a German-scripted programme of austerity and legally enshrined fiscal rigour that curbs the budgetary sovereignty of elected governments.

In elections in France on Sunday, in the Royal Palace in The Hague on Monday, and on Wenceslas Square in Prague on Saturday, a democratic backlash appeared to be gathering critical mass as the economic prescriptions of the governing class collided with the street and the ballot box. The collision looks likely to bring down three European governments.

Mark Rutte, the centre-right Dutch prime minister, threw in the towel on Monday, submitting his resignation to Queen Beatrix after seven weeks of fruitless haggling over colossal spending cuts, which are required to comply with new European rules he has done much to design.

After the biggest popular protests in Prague since the velvet revolution brought down communism, the rightwing government of Petr Necas, close allies of David Cameron, teetered on the brink, because of unpopular spending cuts as well as sleaze. .............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/apr/23/europe-elite-democratic-backlash

[freshwest]

1. That's encouraging. And the masses didn't have to bring out the guillotine. That's progress.

We'll see how this plays out in the next few years.

to Europeans!

[Egalitarian Thug]

2. You can only fool most of the people some of the time. Everyone that doesn't inhabit

the beautiful bubble of privilege knows they have been ripped off and that the thieves are getting away with it.

K&R Same as last time.

[coalition_unwilling]

3. Germany (and the European elites) decided they would

make a little demonstration project out of Greece, austerity and suffering for the working class but no sacrifice for the ruling class and its lackies and lickspittles.

Maybe Europe is showing all of us (working class and intelligentsia, that is) a way forward?

[southernyankeebelle]

4. It will have a ripple effect. It will effect us also. I am worried.

[xchrom]

5. Du rec. Nt

[Dawson Leery]

6. Fuhrerette Merkel is playing with fire.

As of now, Cameron would lose the next election and Merkel would have a hung parliament.

[malaise]

7. Occupy the planet

We are not paying for their crony capitalism. Fugg the 1%!