'Europe’s moment of truth,' says SYRIZA in appeal for acts of international solidarity

BY TASOS KORONAKIS

Secretary of the Central Committee of SYRIZA

Coalition of the Radical Left

AFTER almost four months of intensive negotiations, we have reached a moment of truth for our common European project. The SYRIZA-led government does its best to reach an honourable agreement with its European and international partners that respects both the obligations of Greece as a European member state but also the Greek people's electoral mandate.

Four months of exhausting negotiations have passed where Greece’s creditors systematically insist on forcing on the SYRIZA-led government the exact austerity programme that was rejected by the Greek people in the 25 January elections. Liquidity asphyxiation orchestrated by the institutions has led to a critical situation for our country’s finances, making it unbearable to serve upcoming debt obligations.

The Greek Government has done its best to reach an agreement but red lines – having to do with sustainable and not unrealistic primary surpluses, the restoration of collective contracts and the minimum wage, workers’ protection from massive lay-offs, the protection of wages, pensions and the social security system from further cuts, stopping 'fire-sale' privatizations, etc – are to be respected. Popular sovereignty and democratic mandates are to be respected.

The Greek people’s patience and goodwill is not to be mistaken as willingness to succumb to unprecedented blackmail. European democracy is not to be asphyxiated.

Times are crucial; political will from our European partners is needed to overcome the current stalemate. This call is not just a call for solidarity – it is a call for due respect of the foremost of European values.

In this framework, SYRIZA appeals to all Left, progressive and democratic social and political actors who acknowledge that Greece’s fight is not limited within its national borders but constitutes a fight for democracy and social justice in Europe.

Until today, your support has been overwhelming but, in these critical moments, we are calling for the intensification of acts of social and political solidarity, ranging from the organisation of a new series of rallies and awareness campaigns across Europe to institutional initiatives in local, regional and national parliaments and personal or collective statements of support to the efforts of Greece to change the European paradigm from disastrous austerity to a new model for sustainable growth.

Your interventions are of utmost importance, not only for the people of Greece but for the fate of the European idea.