Alternatives to Austerity: Insights from Greece & Spain

Academics from a number of departments from across the University of York recently began investigating the subject of democratic transitions in post-crisis Southern Europe. The project - Democracies in Transition - aims to focus on a number of themes relating to the recent economic crisis, political communication, globalisation and spatialising transition. As part of the project, we have invited eminent speakers from Greece and Spain to share their insights in to recent currents of activism across Southern Europe.

Albert Jimenez (PAH - Platform for those Affected by Mortgages, Spain) will be speaking about his intervention to deal with the right to housing in Spain, the work of the PAH, its political evolution, and the links with the new "radical" grass-roots parties.

Theo Karyotis (Initiative of Solidarity with the VIOME, Greece) will be speaking about struggles around defense and self-management of the commons, especially work (the example of the occupied factory of VIOME) health (solidarity clinics) water (the struggle against privatization in Thessaloniki) and the ambivalent relationship of these struggles with SYRIZA and later with the government led by this party.