By UPF Webzine Articles/Europe/Uncategorized

Denmark takes a step to the left

DANISH PARLIAMENT. PHOTO: TROES DEJGAARD HANSEN:FLICKR.JPG

With the election of the first female Prime Minister in Danish history, the government sets off to a new beginning after ten years of liberal dominance. The new Prime Minister, Helle Thorning-Schmidt was appointed in a close race with the now former Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, and she will take over a state with several topics on its agenda. The economic growth in Denmark has not been able to follow comparable countries, like Sweden, and as a consequence the financial situation of the country became the main topic in the election campaign. The new government hopes to resolve these problems with initiatives that include raising high-income taxes and advancing public spending. 

By UPF Webzine Articles/Economy And Trade/Europe/Uncategorized

The Indignant Greeks

The current financial situation in Europe is precarious, to say the least. Austerity measures pursued by different European governments have not been well received by the
young, which Greece is a good example of. Rather, the insecurity caused by high unemployment rates and reduction of wages has created a new wave of public discontent, aimed at government policies.

In Spain, discontented young people formed the Indignados movement, also known as the “Real Democracy Now” movement. The Spanish Indignados have been protesting against the harsh budget cuts implemented by the government and the general public insecurity stemming from the financial and economic crisis, while at the same time demanding a new, more direct and more transparent type of democracy. A democracy based on people assembling. The Indignados movement quickly caught on, with young people camping out in the squares of all the major cities for days, as a peaceful protest.