Syriza: Inside the Labyrinth

Left Book Club

by Kevin Ovenden

In January 2015, Syriza, the Coalition of the Radical Left, became the largest party in the Hellenic Parliament, winning 149 out of 300 seats and badly defeating the then-ruling conservative New Democracy party. In Syriza , Kevin Ovenden presents an in-depth analysis of the political events leading up to this seemingly sudden reversal of political power in Greece, exploring the origins of the turbulent Greek political climate, from the beginnings of the Communist Party of Greece and the Greek workers’ movement following the First World War, to the brutal civil war that shook the country in the aftermath of the Second World War; the rise and fall of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement and the growth of radical politics in the 1970s; and finally the crushing austerity demands following the debt crisis of the 2010s.
 
Ovenden also examines the far-right movements in Greece as well, focusing in particular on the negative impact that the xenophobic and nationalistic Golden Dawn party has had and continues to have to this day.
 
Syriza’s victory in Greece is a central event of the twenty-first century, whose ramifications are sure to be felt for decades. Though their victory took place in a time of crisis, for Greece and for Europe, Overden’s analysis is nevertheless full of hope. Syriza, he argues, represents new possibilities for workers across Europe, and perhaps a fascinating rebirth for the political left.

Genres: Politics, History, Nonfiction

200 pages, Paperback

First published September 15, 2015

Reviews

[twintithe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Covers the economic situation leading up to, and resistance of the initial rounds of austerity well, as it does with fascism and racism. It offers insightful commentary on the nature of the capitalist state, esp. the connections between bureaucratic government positions, the far right and big business, which assisted in the right-wing backlash to the crumbling anti-austerity stance of Syriza.

The book decidedly leans towards focusing on the bureaucratic ins-and-outs of what the leadership of Syriza was doing during the ongoing situation. Somewhat astonishingly for a book titled 'Syriza' Ovenden fails to present any meaningful overview of the arguments and discourse going on within the party, without which there is limited understanding of why the leadership of Syriza ultimately capitulated to the demands of the Greek capitalist class and the Troika and the subsequent purge of the Left Platform. Also of note for it's absence is the role of the trade unions, and after the second half of the book, the day-to-day politics of ordinary people in Greece.

The book is very much worth reading but shouldn't be read uncritically, it has limitations in it's coverage but it still provides a good analysis of the situation.

[Rob Trump · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very well written, with lucid and informative analysis. Two relatively minor quibbles: most of the book takes place before Syriza was in power; only the last couple chapters deal with their actual government. The history was great and I wouldn't cut any of it, but at only 177 pages I would have liked more in-power discussion. Second, and relatedly, there is little about the various "Plan B"s that were mooted and ultimately rejected by Tsiparis. I understand the author doesn't want to get mired in technical discussions, but I sure did! Gimme that Varoufakis plan in all its Byzantine detail. Anyway, good book overall.

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was a good contribution to leftist discussions of Syriza and the ongoing Greek crisis. It's concise, free of jargon, and dense with information.

I was hoping for more detail about things like Syriza's experiences with municipal governance or the history of some of the parties that became Syriza's left wing (like the KOE or DEA). But I definitely understand that might be more of a niche interest.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant and incisive look into not just the Eurocrisis, but also the deep history and politics of Greece that led to the promise and downfall of Syriza. Utterly fascinating and important for anybody who's interested in politics AND political writing for how Ovenden captures all of the various strands - racism, imperialism, the deep state, etc - that weigh in on the fate of parties and societies.

[Glen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading ... Truthfully I found it a challenging read and had to go back several times to reread sections ... But the central thread of the challenges that the Syriza and the left in general faced/face in Europe is easy to see ...

[Fionn McGorry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have had this on the shelf for a few years but got around to reading it because I was finally visiting Greece on holiday. It’s extraordinarily well-written, fervent, interesting and yet also sort of ephemeral because it helps to understand what the mood was in The Greek Radical left at that time but is sort of proven right but simultaneously undermined by all the stuff that’s happened since. Really excellent and informative read. It is also more wide-ranging and dispassionate than Varoufakis’ “Adults in the Room” (which is also excellent and in the style of a political thriller, really). I do think though that Ovenden’s Characterisation of the economic positioning of Varoufakis vs Tsakalatos is a bit off.

[Sofia Silverchild · Rating 3 out of 5]

Το βιβλίο είναι καλό, αλλά διαφωνώ με την πολιτική προσέγγιση.

[Jack Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best book about the 2015 Greece Crisis

[emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was published by the Left Book Club, whose stated aim is that "the books will be used as the basis of reading circles, discussion groups, and other educational and cultural activities relevant to developing, sharing and disseminating ideas for progressive social change in the interests of working people." Any progressive social change will almost certainly come as a result of resistance by the working people, and yet - despite being informative (if possibly inaccurate in places according to other reviews, although my knowledge of the history of Greek politics is nowhere near extensive enough to pass comment) - I found this book quite inaccessible. I'm not sure whether it was the dry style, or the employment of Bigger More Impressive Words when standard ones would have done, but I suspect it'll be consigned to the unfinished pile by a lot of people.

[Pinko Palest · Rating 2 out of 5]

Makes a number of valid points, but does not seem to know his Greek history very well, especially the history of the Left in Greece. Does not even mention that there were two Communist parties in Greece between 1968 and 1987, one pro-soviet and one Eurocommunist, with both winning seats to parliament. Forgets to mention that Syriza is the linear descendant of the Eurocommunist party. In my humble opinion, makes far too much of the minor parties of the far left in the country and of their influence

[Titus Hjelm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid journalistic and critical account of the rise and fall of Syriza. Lacks perhaps a bit in the liveliness department (very few narratives about people), but very interesting and goes beyond the horrible picture painted by English I language media.

[Athanasios Tsakiris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good book despite the fact there are some historical errors (e.g. Konstantinos Karamanlis left the country after he lost the 1963 general elections and not after the coup d'état that took place on 21 April 1967).