In 1929, Robert Graves (1895-1985), a British novelist and poet, published his autobiography. At the time, he was all of thirty-four years old. Why did he decide to write a history of his life only three and a half decades on? It was precisely because part of it had been taken away by the First World War. After witnessing senseless violence and horrific atrocities, Graves was left a haunted man, and his book seemed to be an attempt to put those jarring memories behind him..
Thankfully, there is no war in Europe today. However, it would not be quite accurate to state that Europe is at peace either. When President Obama sets foot on French soil in a few days, he will be standing at the center of a fractious continent - riven by economic and political discord. Due to intractable levels of unemployment, cuts in social programs and corrupt politics, the European Union has never looked more vulnerable.
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Similar to the revolts and revolutions in the Middle East and North Africa, mass movements calling for reform have been the order of the day for much of Europe over the last year. Something must be done. When it comes to the great recession that began in 2007-08, Europeans have wanted to say 'Goodbye to all that,' but an economic recovery has not been forthcoming. Hence, millions of people across the Continent have been on the march to say 'goodbye' to their governments - governments that have served their own elite interests rather than the interests of their citizens. Here is a brief roundup of the discontent.
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Belgium
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In March, a sizable crowd (approximately 20,000), supported by the largest trade unions in Belgium, protested against policies fashioned by French President Sarkozy and German Chancellor Merkel outside the EU Summit in Brussels. Both Sarkozy and Merkel have endorsed plans to keep wages down in order to allow EU nations to produce goods at lower cost and thus be more competitive in the international marketplace. When part of the crowd became hostile, the police unleashed tear gas and water cannons.
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Greece, Germany and Italy
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Last year, Athenians may have made more headlines than Demosthenes (384-322BC) did in his day by rioting in the streets over proposed (and enacted) austerity measures. The streets of the Greek capital have not calmed down quite yet. Two weeks ago, the two largest labor unions sponsored a general strike and helped turn out 30,000 disaffected citizens. Germany has witnessed protests over both EU policies and against nuclear power in the last few months. Since the German parliament voted to help bailout bankrupt Greece in early 2010 with a 22.4 billion Euro loan, Germans have become increasingly skeptical of the EU and Angela Merkel. In Italy, large numbers of women (and quite a few men) poured onto the streets in February to express their disgust with Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and his salacious behavior toward the opposite sex. Italians were not just motivated by his personal shortcomings, however. Berlusconi is considered by many as a symbol of everything wrong with Italian politics - elitism, corruption and arrogance.
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Portugal and Spain
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In Portugal, people between the ages of 21-35 call themselves 'geracao a rasca' or 'the desperate generation' due to being unable to find remunerative employment. The unemployment rate for college graduates is between 25-30%. That figure, of course, does not count the underemployed - which would put the actual rate closer to 50%. In the absence of a job, these educated young people cannot move out of their parents' house or even think about starting a family. As there is nowhere to go and nothing to do, the Portuguese have taken to the streets to protest a government in Lisbon that has cut social spending in an attempt to put its finances on a path toward solvency. Of course, this has only made the middle and lower classes angrier. Why should they have to pay for irresponsible financial decisions made by incompetent or corrupt elites - especially at a time of economic want? This is the question all of Europe is asking, and nowhere is this question hotter right now than in the largest nation on the Iberian peninsula.
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In the last few days, enormous numbers of Spanish citizens, made up of people from all walks of life and of all ages, have joined one rally or another in cities nationwide to collectively call for an end to a political system dominated by the two largest political parties and a solution to the 20% overall unemployment rate and the staggering 45% youth unemployment rate. Once again, these numbers are conservative estimates. The actual rates are higher.
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In 1989, the courage of the protesters in Tiananmen Square (Beijing, China) served as a catalyst for subsequent protests against Communist dictatorships in Eastern Europe. When one person or one nation stands up and demands justice (whether economic, social, political or all three), then other people and other nations are inspired to follow suit. In Europe, many protesters have admitted to being motivated by the revolutions taking place in Egypt, Syria, Libya, Yemen and elsewhere in the Middle East and Africa. Undoubtedly, it cuts both ways. Surely, some protesters in Egypt were moved by the protests in Greece last year.
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What are many nations in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and elsewhere ultimately trying to say? They are trying to say 'Goodbye to all that' - 'goodbye' to elitist politics that serve the few and not the many, 'goodbye' to empty promises and corruption and 'hello' to a future that affords every person the right to a job, health care and a full political voice. The world can accept no less.
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(Photo: A rather expressive protester in Madrid)
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(For additional photos of the protests in Spain, please click onto the KleosTimes link to the right)
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J Roquen