Risk of the ultra-right trend infiltrating Greek politics?
The biggest shock was not so much the vote percentage won by ultra-right National Front leader Jean-Marie Le Pen (16.91) but the fact that he entered the second round in the presidential election. If Jean-Pierre Chevenement had not run, Socialist leader Lionel Jospin may have outpolled him. The impression would have been different, but not the substance. The rise of the ultra-right candidate is real. The insults of Le Pen’s rivals only strengthened his position, and hardly constituted a political response. The elections reflected disapprobation both of France’s center-left government and the center-right president. The re-election of Jacques Chirac in the second round will not change anything. Both major parties satisfy only the French who are more or less comfortably off. For those under financial duress, or who are finding it harder and harder to make ends meet, and above all those who have been marginalized, are either turning their backs on politics or turning toward the extremes of the political spectrum. The election results were an expression of political protest, but also of a need by the latter groups to engage in «consolation politics.» That was what Le Pen and the three ultra-left candidates were offering, each in his own way. From that point of view, the French election results were also a good lesson for Greece. Under the leadership of Costas Simitis, the ruling PASOK party drew on a large segment of the center-right and managed to stay in power in 1996 and again in 2000. The price PASOK is paying for this change is a relaxation, and in many cases a splintering, of its traditional bonds with the people – including but not only the center-left – who comprise its chief electoral base. Greece’s political tradition makes it more difficult for such phenomena to emerge. But the fact that increasingly large numbers of people feel that their interests are not represented by any political party means that foundations are being laid. At present, people’s displeasure is finding an outlet in cynicism, absence of political loyalty and rejection of official politics. Desperation is a poor counsel, however, and in that sense nothing can be ruled out in the future. On Monday, Costas Simitis talked about «policies of balance and removing shades of color.» He is obviously referring to differences between parties. He would be right if he were referring to ideological and political differences, but then his statement would be one of self-criticism, for after all it was he who «removed the color» from and distorted the historic role of the center-left in Greece. IKA strike
