THE TURMOIL WITH IN THE ELITE, THE COURSE OF THE CRISIS AND THE LEFT

Abstract

The factions within the ruling classes have, for nearly three years now, been engaged in fierce struggles over the current management of the crisis and possible strategic options. There is much evidence that the crisis has generated a new fragmented crisis-neoliberalism, in which various accumulation models will be contested for a very long time to come. As an immediate result we can see a remarkable rearrangement of the political forces. There is a consolidation of a politically fortified authoritarian direction and, in contrast, extreme market-radical elements of the neoliberal power bloc have clearly been weakened. A third center-right, social conservative group has been consolidated, playing at times the role of the center of crisis-neoliberalism. The socialdemocratic reformist variants of neoliberalism have been virtually toppled. Finally, comparatively small and very heterogeneous groups have emerged which see themselves as post-neoliberal and often recruit strongly from the bourgeoisified Greens and from the vestiges of a social-democratic government left in Europe. A new center-right wing of crisis-neoliberalism is forming but its hegemonic political position is not stable.