Radical Democracy Syriza, a Left-Populist Party's Approach to Addressing (or Entrenching?) Precarious Employment and Implications for Thai Politic

Main Article Content

Phuriphat Kruanopparatana

Abstract

Syriza is a left-wing populist party from Greece. One of its main policies is addressing the "precarity of the people's lives," which has resulted from the neoliberal economic regime, by radicalizing democracy. However, this article will explore whether Syriza's explanations and proposals for solving this problem will lead to a solution or a dead end for the issue of precarity or precariousness. It finds that there have been several studies on precarity in Greece, and these studies define precarity differently, focusing on social precarity and precarious employment. Finally, the article will discuss whether the integration of small-scale employers and employees under the concept of "the people" will act as an empowering force or become an obstacle to overcoming the precarious employment system. At the same time, progressive parties in Thailand that strive to solve political and economic problems face challenges related to precarity and precarious employment, as noted in this paper, which they need to overcome.

Article Details

How to Cite
Kruanopparatana, P. (2025). Radical Democracy: Syriza, a Left-Populist Party’s Approach to Addressing (or Entrenching?) Precarious Employment and Implications for Thai Politic. King Prajadhipok’s Institute Journal, 22(3), 27–45. retrieved from https://so06.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/kpi_journal/article/view/274717
Section
Original Articles

References

ภาษาไทย

อรรสิทธิ์ สิทธิดำรง และภูริภัทร์ เครือนพรัตน์. (2566). การประยุกต์ใช้อุดมการณ์ประชานิยมฝ่ายซ้ายในพรรคการเมือง: กรณีศึกษาในประเทศสเปน กรีซ และไทย. กรุงเทพฯ: สถาบันพระปกเกล้า.

ภาษาอังกฤษ

Adler, D. (2019). The three Mistakes Behind Syriza’s Demise in Greece. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/jul/08/syriza-demise-greece-alexis-tsipras

After Syriza’s Victory, Podemos Now Poses a Major Threat to the Spanish Political Establishment. (2015). Retrieved from https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/europpblog/

/01/28/after-syrizas-victory-podemos-now-poses-a-major-threat-to-the-spanish-political-establishment/

Azmanova, A. (2018). Syriza And The 21st Century Left. Retrieved from https://www.socialeurope.eu/51700-2

Baboulias, Y. (2016). A Year of Disappointment in Greece. Retrieved from http://america.aljazeera.com/opinions/2016/1/a-year-of-disappointment-in-greece.html

Errejón, Í., & Mouffe, C. (2016). Podemos: In the Name of the People. Eastbourne: Lawrence and Wishart Ltd.

Graham, J., & Papadopoulos, D. (2021). Organizing the Precarious: Autonomous Work, Real Democracy and Ecological Precarity. Organization, 30(4), 649–667. doi: 10.1177/

Hewison, K. (2005). Neo-liberalism and Domestic Capital: The Political Outcomes of the Economic Crisis in Thailand. The Journal of Development Studies, 41(2), 310–330. doi: 10.1080/0022038042000309269.

Hewison, K. & Kalleberg, A. L. (2013). Precarious Work and Flexibilization in South and Southeast Asia. American Behavioral Scientist, 57(4), 395–402. doi: 10.1177/0002764212466235.

Hewison, K. & Tularak, W. (2013). Thailand and Precarious Work: An Assessment. American Behavioral Scientist, 57(4), 444–467. doi: 10.1177/0002764212466244.

Kalleberg, A. L. & Hewison, K. (2013). Precarious Work and the Challenge for Asia. American Behavioral Scientist, 57(3), 271–288. doi: 10.1177/0002764212466238.

Katsambekis, G. (2019). The Populist Radical Left in Greece: Syriza in Opposition and in Power. In G. Katsambekis & A. Kioupkiolis (Eds.), The Populist Radical Left in Europe (pp. 21-46). London: Routledge.

Katsambekis, G. & Kioupkiolis, A. (Eds.). (2019). The Populist Radical Left in Europe. London: Routledge.

Labour market information: Greece - European Commission. (2023). Retrieved from https://eures.europa.eu/living-and-working/labour-market-information/labour-market-information-greece_en

Laclau, E., & Mouffe, C. (2001). Hegemony and Socialist Strategy: Towards a Radical Democratic Politics. ( 2nd Edition). London: Verso.

Livanos, I., & Tzika, E. (2022). Precarious Employment in Greece: Economic Crisis, Labour Market Flexibilisation, and Vulnerable Workers. (Discussion Paper GreeSE Paper No. 171). Retrieved from http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/115058

Markou, G. (2017). The Rise of Inclusionary Populism in Europe: The Case of SYRIZA. Contemporary Southeastern Europe, 4(1), 54–71.

Marx, K. (1992). Capital: A Critique of Political Economy, Volume 1. (B. Fowkes, Trans.; Reprint Edition). London: Penguin Classics.

Marx, K., & Engels, F. (2002). The Communist Manifesto. London: Penguin Classics.

Mason, P. (2015). Hope Begins Today: The Inside Story of Syriza’s Rise to Power. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jan/28/greek-people-wrote-history-how-syriza-rose-to-power

Mouffe, C. (2018). For a Left Populism. London: Verso.

Over half of Thai Workers in Informal Sector. (2023). Retrieved from https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2708701/over-half-of-thai-workers-in-informal-sector

Papadimitriou, Y.-O. (2018). SYRIZA: A Cautionary Tale. Retrieved from https://www.newsocialist.org.uk/syriza-cautionary-tale/

Phongpaichit, P., & Benyaapikul, P. (2012). Locked in the Middle-income Trap: Thailand’s Economy Between Resilience and Future Challenges. Retrieved from https://library.fes.de/pdf-files/bueros/thailand/09208.pdf

Standing, G. (2016). The Precariat: The New Dangerous Class. Retrieved from http://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/the-precariat-9781474294164/

Themelis, S. (2017). Degrees of Precariousness: The Problematic Transition into the Labour Market of Greek Higher Education Graduates. Forum Sociológico. Série II, 31. Doi: 10.4000/sociologico.1811.

Who Exactly are the 1%?. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.economist.com/united-states/2012/01/21/who-exactly-are-the-1