Increasing Unrest in Spain

“At least 100,000 people took to the streets of Madrid on Saturday (31 January) to show support for anti-establishment party Podemos, one week after Greek voters almost gave Syriza, a party with similar objectives, an absolute majority” (EU Observer, February 2, 2015). The Podemos party estimated the crowd to be three times this size, while the Spanish paper El Pais estimated 153,000 protestors (ibid.). Spain is scheduled to hold national elections by the end of 2015. While the Spanish prime minister “dismissed Podemos’ chances of winning the elections,” the populist movement is growing. Podemos is one of two rapidly growing populist parties in Spain in favor of ending the austerity practices imposed by the EU which have resulted in the second-highest unemployment rate in Europe of those 25 and under—55.5 percent according to Eurostat (ibid.).

In reaction to Greece’s recent call to end austerity, the Spanish budget minister soberingly observed, “It is ‘impossible’ to change EU fiscal rules in reaction to political developments in Greece, or the ‘club’ will ‘fall apart’” (EU Observer, February 2, 2015). Anti-establishment sentiment appears to be growing across Europe, especially in nations hit hardest by the debt crisis. This movement is far less trusting of the EU and much more nationalistic.

Europe is approaching a crossroads that could drastically change the structure we now see.

For more on Europe’s prophesied future, read “Shadows Over Europe.”