Amid the turmoil of economic crisis Greece has become the first European experiment of left rule in a sea of neoliberalism What happens when a government of the Left committed to social justice & the reversal of austerity is blackmailed into following policies it has fought against & strongly opposes? What can the experience of the Syriza government tell us about the prospects for the Left in the twenty-first century? In this engaging & provocative book Costas Douzinas uses his position as an 'accidental politician' unexpectedly propelled from academia into the world of Greek politics as a Syriza MP to answer these urgent questions He examines the challenges facing Syriza since its ascent to power in 2015 & draws out the theoretical & political lessons from one of the boldest & most difficult experiments in governing from the Left in an age of neoliberalism & austerity