The Greek flag was raised on the town hall yesterday 'in solidarity' with the Greek people ahead of Sunday's referendum.
And why not? After all, the Spanish people are suffering for the same reasons, and in similar ways, to the Greek people. What happens in Greece will have a knock-on effect in Spain.
Scrolling through my facebook last night, a pro-Tsipras supporter describes the hunger faced by many Greek people as a result of the economic crisis, the bank bailouts and the subsequent indebtedness of Greece. Someone else has commented (rough translation)that it's not so different here, adding that she knows
' f*** all about economics but I work in a small food shop (in Zaragoza) and women who used to come in for bags of shopping now come in with 2 euros trying to buy enough to make a dinner for their family'.
What else does Spain have in common with Greece? A highly- educated youth without work, emigrating or considering emigrating due to 50% youth unemployment (Greece- 60%). Widespread hunger (30% of children living below the poverty line, the highest after Rumania, according to UNICEF in 2014), reliance on food banks,electricity being cut off, daily evictions, homelessness, begging on the streets. Many families here live on 400 euros a month which is the emergency social security payment for those who have not paid in sufficiently to get full unemployment benefit.
Spanish people are watching what happens in Greece very carefully.
We also have a left alliance, Podemos and others, who seem prepared to stand up to the demands of Troika as the Tsipras government are trying to do. They have a real chance of being elected in national elections in November, after winning control of many city councils last month (see previous blog posts).
What happens in Greece in the next few days and beyond could offer hope or further despair for ordinary Spanish people as well as for the Greeks.
And why not? After all, the Spanish people are suffering for the same reasons, and in similar ways, to the Greek people. What happens in Greece will have a knock-on effect in Spain.
Scrolling through my facebook last night, a pro-Tsipras supporter describes the hunger faced by many Greek people as a result of the economic crisis, the bank bailouts and the subsequent indebtedness of Greece. Someone else has commented (rough translation)that it's not so different here, adding that she knows
' f*** all about economics but I work in a small food shop (in Zaragoza) and women who used to come in for bags of shopping now come in with 2 euros trying to buy enough to make a dinner for their family'.
What else does Spain have in common with Greece? A highly- educated youth without work, emigrating or considering emigrating due to 50% youth unemployment (Greece- 60%). Widespread hunger (30% of children living below the poverty line, the highest after Rumania, according to UNICEF in 2014), reliance on food banks,electricity being cut off, daily evictions, homelessness, begging on the streets. Many families here live on 400 euros a month which is the emergency social security payment for those who have not paid in sufficiently to get full unemployment benefit.
Spanish people are watching what happens in Greece very carefully.
We also have a left alliance, Podemos and others, who seem prepared to stand up to the demands of Troika as the Tsipras government are trying to do. They have a real chance of being elected in national elections in November, after winning control of many city councils last month (see previous blog posts).
What happens in Greece in the next few days and beyond could offer hope or further despair for ordinary Spanish people as well as for the Greeks.