Editorial

In 1942, the Allies blockaded all supplies to fascist-occupied Greece. Concerned about the alarming news of starvation, citizens gathered in Oxford to collect food and send it through the naval blockade. For them, helping was not a matter of rational calculation. Their movement developed into today’s Oxfam, which largely helps to alleviate poverty worldwide. But what has happened to solidarity in Europe today?

Photo: misterQM / photocase.com

Solidarity: helping out when you don't know whether or when you might need help yourself.

Almost seventy years later, the stakes seem lower. Yet Iceland and Greece were both hit hard in the course of the financial crisis. One country is part of the euro community while the other one is not even part of the EU. Whether through bad luck or their own fault, both are in dire straits and need help from their neighbours. Without support, pensions and savings might never be paid out. In this dossier, we look at what solidarity would require today. We tell the story of "Icesave" and how a proud country has been left out in the cold, we look at Greece’s situation and the opinions on the question of whether it should be helped or not, and we will have a look at the history of the euro to figure out what ideas were important during its design. Each of the three main parts can be read separately.