ABSTRACT
The EU played a key crisis management role during the European sovereign debt (ESD) crisis. The Euroscepticism literature focuses attention on national differences, while that on social movements provides conceptual tools for examining transnational collaboration and solidarity among anti-austerity activists. This chapter addresses the interplay of Euroscepticism, solidarity and transnational diffusion by examining claim making of anti-austerity movements in Spain (the 15M Puerta del Sol occupation in Madrid, Democracia Real Ya and Juventud Sin Futuro) and Greece (Outraged Greeks, I Don't Pay – I Don't Pay and Without Intermediaries). Spain and Greece are among those most affected by the ESD crisis, which generated large-scale mobilization against austerity policies. The chapter examines claims drawn from material generated by social movements themselves, including manifestos, campaign posters, cartoons, artwork, articles, press releases and YouTube videos published on their websites and posted on Facebook.
