Backlash to austerity boosts Dutch Socialists


by Sunny Hundal    
10:00 am - August 14th 2012

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Heard about the government that cut spending during a weak economy, which lead to falling consumer confidence, domestic spending and slower growth?

This familiar tale is not just relevant to the UK but now the Netherlands.

The European Union now expects country to be one of the weakest economies this year, as austerity and weak private spending has hit the economy.

And now, the hard-left Socialist party is emerging as a front-runner in next month’s elections on the back of growing resentment toward the austerity drive.

The Socialist Party, which didn’t support the austerity plan, wants a different roadmap.

The Wall Street Journal reports:

In contrast to [Prime Minister] Rutte, who often takes a hawkish stand on the economy, Mr. Roemer [leader of the Socialists] says the austerity drive will harm the recovery.

While he doesn’t reject EU budget rules, the Socialist leader has called for more time to implement them. The current budget plan aims to reduce the budget deficit to 3% of GDP by 2013, a target Mr. Roemer wants to postpone to 2015.

Polling shows it is likely to become the biggest party after the elections.

The WSJ also points out that far-right leader Geert Wilders, who is runnging on a platform to abandon the euro, is finding the issue isn’t resonating with the public.

The Socialist Party doesn’t shy from controversy: It wants to curtail the European Central Bank’s independence by establishing “democratic supervision” over the bank and to broaden the ECB’s mandate, currently limited to ensuring price stability, to allow it to stimulate the economy to create jobs.

Who can argue with that?

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About the author
Sunny Hundal is editor of LC. Also: on Twitter, at Pickled Politics and Guardian CIF.
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Reader comments


1. Jack C

Who can argue with that?

Well, I suppose it depends on what is actually being proposed.

What does “democratic supervision” of the ECB mean? It was set up the way it is by elected governments. It has objectives to meet, set by those governments, but otherwise has independence. The latter is regarded by most as beneficial and important. Should the Bank of England also lose it’s independence?

How will widening the ECB’s mandate solve the underlying problems in the Eurozone?

2. orangebooker

The Socialist Party doesn’t shy from controversy: It wants to curtail the European Central Bank’s independence by establishing “democratic supervision” over the bank and to broaden the ECB’s mandate, currently limited to ensuring price stability, to allow it to stimulate the economy to create jobs.

Who can argue with that?

Jens Weidmann, Angela Merkel, Philipp Rösler, Rainer Brüderle, Horst Seehofer, Guido Westerwelle, Peter Gauweiler, Thomas Silberhorn, Michael Meister, Martin Zeil, Frank Schaeffer… etc.

3. Mary Tracy

Argh, Roemer may be the leader of the Socialists but he ain’t socialist enough!

What will it take for some left wing leader somewhere to say “NO” to any and all d”plans to reduce budget deficit”?

4. john

@3. Mary Tracy

A revolution.

5. Jack C

Mary Tracy,
What is Socialist enough?
Is there no deficit figure that you would agree was too high? Would you not even agree with reducing tax avoidance, and/or increasing taxes on the very wealthy?

6. BenM

@Jack C

Neo liberal governments are much better at running up massive deficits than socialist ones.

Tories, labour, Reagan, GWBush.

A litany of rightwing deficit spenders.

7. Jack C

@ BenM,
What’s your point??

At the same generalized level, I could say that Socialist governments are much better at starving their fellow citizens.

But what would be the point of that?

8. BenM

@Jack C

My point is that rightwing governments inevitably run up deficits.

And they also wreck reasonably running economies.

Can’t you read?

9. Jack C

Yes, I can read thank you.
I was merely questioning your very wide generalisations.

I think you’d have to agree that relatively right-wing Western Europe was much more successful economically than left-wing Eastern Europe. Compare, for example, West Germany v East Germany.

I think you’re just using “right-wing” to mean “governments I don’t like” (I see you’ve included the Labour party in the right-wing list).


Reactions: Twitter, blogs
  1. Liberal Conspiracy

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  2. sunny hundal

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  3. Brian Tomkinson

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  4. peter Williams

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  5. Robert Gant

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  6. rebecca

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  7. Socialist Health Asn

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  8. SheffieldUncut

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  9. Jason Brickley

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  10. Citizen Ember

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  11. Pink Humanist

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  12. SyzygySyzygysue

    RT @sunny_hundal Backlash to austerity boosts Dutch Socialists – they could be the largest party next month http://t.co/TE9HdWZL

  13. Isobel

    Backlash to austerity boosts Dutch Socialists – they could be the largest party next month http://t.co/PMkI0eZm

  14. Nikos

    Backlash to austerity boosts Dutch Socialists | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/6KOo9fHQ via @libcon

  15. Geoffrey Pearson

    RT @sunny_hundal Backlash to austerity boosts Dutch Socialists – they could be the largest party next month http://t.co/TE9HdWZL

  16. post cromwell

    Backlash to austerity boosts Dutch Socialists | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/6KOo9fHQ via @libcon

  17. Geoff Walker

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  18. leftlinks

    Liberal Conspiracy – Backlash to austerity boosts Dutch Socialists http://t.co/Zi7X4ft9

  19. Satrio Pratama

    Backlash to austerity boosts Dutch Socialists http://t.co/CJ9cOEWA

  20. TotnesB

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  21. Tommy Gunsmith

    "@libcon: Backlash to austerity boosts Dutch Socialists http://t.co/YABTphx5&quot; <and ensures Dutch serfdom to IMF and ECB

  22. Owain Morris

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  23. Tim Parkinson London

    @annaholligan http://t.co/xLqAF4kt

  24. Adam McGibbon

    Backlash to austerity boosts Dutch Socialists | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/LBf2wKCC via @libcon

  25. Robert CP

    Backlash to austerity boosts Dutch Socialists http://t.co/CJ9cOEWA

  26. Josiah Mortimer

    Good news for lefty internationalists. Socialists gaining huge ground in the polls in the Netherlands http://t.co/5sXZHtEw

  27. Sean

    Backlash to austerity boosts Dutch Socialists | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/sjxDeTyG via @libcon





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