Abstract
Social responses to the policy of the memoranda comprise on the one hand social mobilizations (those that have developed include demonstrations, strikes, the squares movements, occupation of buildings housing public institutions) and the forms of social solidarity that have emerged (trade without intermediaries, time banks, social solidarity clinics, co-operative ventures). All of these practices took place mainly during the 2010–2012 period, a time of anticipation in expectation of the coming to power of the SYRIZA government. After the capitulation of the summer of 2015, there was a period of social downturn.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
The areas where the Indignados made their presence felt were Aegina, Andros, Arta, Veria, Volos, Giannitsa, Drama Evros, Kozani Rhodes, Zakynthos, Herakleio, Thessaoniki, Thebes, Ierapetra, Ikaria, Ioannina, Kavala, Kalamata, Kastoria, Corfu, Kefalonia, Kiato, Corinth, Lamia, Larissa, Megara, Mytilene, Xylokastro, Patras, Molaoi, Katerini, Preveza, Ptolemaida, Pyrgos, Rethymnon, Santorini, Sitia, Syros, Tinos, Mykonos, Chania, Milos, Halkida, Stylida, Amfissa, Lefkada, Karditsa, Arachova, Aliartos, Livadeia, Sparta, Alexandroupoli, Komotini, Agrinio, Edipsos, Tripoli, Trikala, Nafpaktos, Igoumenitsa, Edessa, Nafplion, Aigio, Gargalianoi, Samos (Bresia 2011: 92) It is interesting that mobilizations did not always take place in squares but also in areas that were regarded as symbolic of the town: for example, the White Tower in Thessaloniki, the Public Market in Chania (Bresia 2011: 95).
- 2.
Neos Kosmos, Aigaleo, Galatsi, Gyzi, Nikaia, Vari, Voula, Vouliagmeni, Vyronas, Keratsini, Glyka Nera, Elliniko, Argyroupoli, Exarcheia, Korydallos, Zografou, Ilioupoli, Kaisariani, Kallithea, Neos Kosmos, Ampelokipi, Galatsi, Gyzi, Nikaia, Vari-Voula-Vouliagmeni, Vyronas, Keratsini, Glyka Nera, Elliniko, Exarchia, Korydallos, Zografou, Ilioupoli, Kaisariani, Kallithea, Agia Paraskevi, Maroussi, Nea Ionia, Nea Heraklion, Nea Smyrni, Pallini, Papagou, Patissia, Piraeus, Perama, Peristeri, Nea Filadefia, Haidari, Halandri, Holargos-Papagou, Petralona, Kolonos and so on (Bresia 2011: 92–93).
- 3.
The KKE had chosen not to participate in these mobilizations, judging that they fell far short of posing a challenge to the capitalist system.
- 4.
The new measures on salaries included wage cuts for civil servants; the institution of standby employment meant reduced pay for the workers with permanent tenure which had been considered as “redudants” for as long as it was needed to be dispatched to another position.
- 5.
October 28 is a national holiday in Greece in remembrance of the outbreak of the Greek-Italian war of 1940.
- 6.
March 25 in Greece is celebrated as the beginning of the Greek revolution against the Othoman occupation and the creation of the Greek independent state.
- 7.
In 1916, for a brief period, Greece split into two “states”, in one of which, in Southern Greece, power was in the hands of King Constantine and in the other, in Northern Greece, it was the Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos who ruled.
- 8.
The form of action that predominated in these mobilizations was the strike, with 832 strikes recorded, followed by work stoppages (488 instances) and rallies (231 recorded) (Papanikolopoulos 2016: 15).
References
Bresia M., 2011, “Is all of Greece a town square?”, in Giovanopoulos C. and D. Mitropoulos (eds.) Democracy under construction. From the streets to the squares, Athens: A/synechia, pp. 91–100 (in Greek).
Karakioulafis C., 2014, “Santé et éducation: victimes des politiques d’austérité”, Chronique internationale de l’IRES vol. 148, pp. 83–103.
Kavoulakos K. and G. Gritzas, 2015, “Movements and alternative locations in the Greece of crisis. A new civil society”, in Georgarakis N. and N. Demertzis (eds.) The political portrait of Greece. Crisis and deconstruction of the political, Athens: Gutenberg/National Centre of Social Research, pp. 337–358 (in Greek).
Kouvelakis Stathis, 2011a, “The invisible end of a winter. Towards the second phase of the politico-social confrontation”, Epochi of 25/3 (in Greek).
Kouvelakis Stathis, 2011b, “Crisis hour. Six theses on the revolt”, Dromos tis Aristeras of 11/6 (in Greek).
Kouvelakis S., 2011c, “Movement time, political time”, http://anasynthesi.gr/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=324&Itemid=1, accessed on 20/3/2014 (in Greek).
Louka M., 2012, “Cassandra mines: when the gold does not shine”, Ektos Grammis vol. 30, pp. 75–77 (in Greek).
Mavris G., 2014, “The fluctuations in SYRIZA’s influence in the 2012–2014 post-election period”, Efimerida ton Syntakton of 25/2/2014 (in Greek).
Papanikolopoulos D., 2016, “The syndicalist dynamic 2010–2015”, Εnimerosi vol. 232, pp. 2–28 (in Greek).
Sotiris P., 2012, “The age of insurrections and the left (thoughts on the “squares”, politics and left strategy in a landscape of surprises and overturns”, Theseis vol. 120, http://www.theseis.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1193&Itemid=29, accessed on 20/3/2014 (in Greek).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 The Author(s)
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Sakellaropoulos, S. (2019). The Reaction of the Dominated Classes 2010–2015. In: Greece’s (un) Competitive Capitalism and the Economic Crisis. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-14319-0_8
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-14319-0_8
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-14318-3
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-14319-0
eBook Packages: Economics and FinanceEconomics and Finance (R0)