The Unions participating in today’s protest march will not march alone, it seems. Don’t get me wrong: they will not be marching in step with a good many other local unions since the march, true to form, has unfortunately ended up being yet another political football, although there are other issues behind it as well – issues that the government has been quick to immerse in soap and water. I have not been surprised by any political reaction for a very long time. Since politics is our national entertainment, that is rather sad. But then does anybody care? In Europe it is another matter.

The ongoing recession seems to stubbornly refuse to go away, for while most countries in the region may have emerged from recession according to official indicators, the eurozone as a whole is far from being out of the woods yet. Indeed, the perilous situation has exposed the brittle houses of cards of those states that have been living beyond their means. It is not by chance that the problems of Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece and Spain have been given the acronym of PIIGS: despite the spelling, the word leaves little to the imagination. And PIIGS form a sizeable chunk of the member states of the EU. Worse, those five countries are only attracting extra attention for the simple reason that they are worse off than the remainder. None are comfortable, even the country that holds the purse strings of the EU, Germany.

A wave of industrial and social unrest is building across Europe as workers resist attempts by governments and private companies to impose austerity policies, drive down wages and rescue some nations from near-bankruptcy. Huge rallies have been taking place all over the EU, especially in Greece and the far more important EU member Spain, whose economy is five times larger than that of Greece. Spain’s economy was driven by a property bubble during the boom years, and the ensuing slump has been more severe than in most of the rest of the eurozone.

In Germany, Lufthansa pilots went on strike over pay and jobs being farmed out to low-cost carriers. Is there something to read for Malta in this? Fiat abruptly suspended production across all its Italian plants this week, laying-off a workforce of 30,000 people for two weeks, and further closures are forecast for next month. In France, flights have been cancelled because of action by its high-paid air traffic controllers, protesting about plans to integrate the EU’s air traffic control system, a move they fear will bring reduced pay and benefits. And a strike at Total oil refineries over closures reflecting over-capacity is raising fears of fuel shortages. Members of cabin crew staff at British Airways, a rather sick airline, are threatening to strike too. Not surprisingly, Governor of the Bank of England Mervyn King this week voiced his concern that Europe’s recovery has now “stalled” – a development with grim repercussions not only for the British economy.

Since membership of the euro limits flexibility and rules out the traditional fall-back systems for solving financial problems, as well as individual initiatives, Ireland, Greece, Spain and others are undergoing what economists euphemistically call “internal devaluation” – slashing wages and costs and, if necessary, allowing unemployment to climb to record highs. As Joseph Stiglitz, among others, forecast, these deflationary polices are now threatening to shrink their economies even more, triggering an even more urgent budget crisis as tax revenues collapse and unemployment payments rise. Angela Merkel has already let it be known that Germany will not be bailing out sinking nations. So Greece and other states facing devastating problems will probably be left with little choice but to approach the IMF for assistance.

Many have voiced their concern in recent years at the phenomenon of Europe’s citizens voting with their feet in elections for the EU Parliament. Many have publicly claimed that the elite in Brussels are only interested in the hay they are making while the sun is still shining. Many who believe in the harmonisation of the continent have sadly pointed out the very obvious divide between the rulers and the ruled. The EU does not seem to be listening.

But times of crisis can bring about rediscovered friendships. Common dangers often serve to unite people and their leaders. When the ship is sinking, there will be those who are ready to kill to get into the lifeboats and there will be those who are ready to die to help others into the boats. But generally speaking, the milk of human kindness tends to flow in greater quantity at times of great peril.

Eurozone governments will need all the solidarity and political will they can muster. Leaders will only be able to lead if they are prepared to abandon their palaces and endure the same hardships as everybody else.