Skip to main content
Tuesday, November 10, 2026Nov 10

Greek vote shows growing European backlash against austerity

Alexis Tsipras, leader of Greece's Syriza left-wing main opposition party, left, puts his arm around the shoulder of Pablo Iglesias leader of Spanish Podemos left-wing party after a pre-election speech at Omonia Square in Athens on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2015. Prime Minister Antonis Samaras' New Democracy party has failed so far to overcome a gap in opinion polls with the anti-bailout Syriza party ahead of the Jan. 25 general election. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)
Alexis Tsipras, leader of Greece's Syriza left-wing main opposition party, left, puts his arm around the shoulder of Pablo Iglesias leader of Spanish Podemos left-wing party after a pre-election speech at Omonia Square in Athens on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2015. Prime Minister Antonis Samaras' New Democracy party has failed so far to overcome a gap in opinion polls with the anti-bailout Syriza party ahead of the Jan. 25 general election. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis) Alexis Tsipras, leader of Greece's Syriza left-wing main opposition party, left, puts his arm around the shoulder of Pablo Iglesias leader of Spanish Podemos left-wing party after a pre-election speech at Omonia Square in Athens on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2015. Prime Minister Antonis Samaras' New Democracy party has failed so far to overcome a gap in opinion polls with the anti-bailout Syriza party ahead of the Jan. 25 general election. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)

The election result in Greece reflects a growing European backlash against austerity policies. Across the continent, support is growing for parties and groups outside the mainstream like Syriza, which triumphed in Greece on Sunday after pledging to renegotiate the country’s huge bailout agreements.

Here are some of the groups to watch as they campaign for a change of course.

___

SPAIN

Many Spaniards are exasperated by government cutbacks amid recent economic misery and say the policies are partly to blame for a jobless rate close to 24 percent.