Transnational Solidarity and Anti-Austerity Campaigning for European Political Change

Abstract

Since the end of the Second World War, Europe has experienced one of the most peaceful and productive periods in its history. Much of this peace and prosperity has been attributed to the development of a more cohesive Europe and the subsequent development of the European Union. Yet Europe is certainly not without its problems, experiencing repeated ‘crises’, such as the refugee crisis, the financial crisis, the ‘Brexit’ crisis and austerity politics and the recent rise of populist political parties. There have been increasing protests on the continent, occupations of spaces and other forms of dissent. While there are strong and clear forms of resistance within various European Union member-states in response to these issues, there have been surprisingly few successful and coordinated actions across Europe. The focus of this chapter, thus, is an exploration of some forms of resistance operating across Europe. The chapter is driven by a set of broad questions: how have forms of resistance operated across Europe? How have protesting groups and citizens worked together? More importantly, what are the factors contributing to the prospects of European citizens working in solidarity?