Tsipras: Society must resist to keep the measures from passing

During the press conference at Vellidio, during the 77th Thessaloniki International Fair, SYRIZA president Alexis Tsipras issued a call to society to resist the new measures and the continuation of the road to ruin. 

The SYRIZA leader warned that if we continue with the same policy and pass the measures, we will be led to a "lengthy drama" and not only will we not get out of the crisis, but also we will keep on making the same mistake.

He expressed his strong opposition to the extension of the fiscal adjustment program, saying that it will just "lengthen the rope with which we will hang ourselves." He estimated, however, that this is almost certain as a balance between the Troika and the government. He stressed that the problem is not the time, but that lenders continue to give a "deadly drug" to the Greek society. As he said, their goal "is to build a Europe of the south where the white Chinese flourishes."

He noted that he is not asking for elections, as the race took place just a little while ago, but called on society to react. He blamed the government for exhausting the strong negotiating weapons of Greece in the last three months, arguing that under the pressure of threats, terrorist dilemmas and deception, a great opportunity was lost in the elections to form a government that could secure what the Greek people want.

He spoke of a crisis of democracy, since the government will attempt to pass these measures in a single article. Referring to the institutional players of the EU, he said that they underestimate the institution of Democracy and that if SYRIZA were the government, the Europeans would definitely suffer losses in their demands.

The SYRIZA president said there is no issue of Greece exiting the euro because this would not be in favour of Europe. He stressed that there is no institutional provision and clarified that an exit from the euro is not in the plans of SYRIZA.

Referring to the example of Argentina Tsipras attacked Antonis Samaras, saying that he is the current prime minister who may find himself in the shoes of de la Rúa, who was taken away by helicopter during the crisis in that country.

He also responded to the criticism of government spokesman Simos Kedikoglou on the occasion of his speech to the production sector. "Kedikoglou spoke against us while we made proposals for productive reconstruction," he said, and added that the Left is the last bastion of democracy.

He admitted that there are different views in the party which are publicly expressed, but the majority decisions are respected by all, and that there is a communications mechanism for misrepresenting SYRIZA’s views.

About the Golden Dawn, Tsipras stressed that its action falls outside the bounds of legality and that it is the "long" arm of the system", while he did not exclude the possibility of a plan to destabilize the political system hiding behind its action. He asked that plenty of light be shed on cases involving right-wing extremists and warned those who are trying to connect "the action of the people who resist with the action of these dark clusters" that they either attempt to whitewash the actions of Golden Dawn, or are ignorant of history.