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WITH GREECE TEETERING on the brink and the proposed referendum on its second bailout reportedly scrapped, it could probably do with some unity at the very highest levels of government.
Unfortunately that isn’t the case and it was underlined by an extraordinary public letter that the country’s finance ministry published this morning.
Written by its Minister of Finance Evangelos Venizelos, he said amongst other things that he would not be supporting the referendum.
The letter was released upon Venizelos’s arrival at the G20 summit in Cannes just before 5am this morning.
Apparently he arrived straight from the hospital where he was admitted earlier this week not long after learning of Papendrou’s plans for a referendum. That referendum has now been scrapped according to the latest reports on AP.
Nonetheless the letter is an extraordinary rebuke by the Finance Minister who is also Papandreou’s deputy:
Greece’s position within the euro area is a historic conquest of the country that cannot be put in doubt. This acquis by the Greek people cannot depend on a referendum.The country must feel safe and stable and that is the first requirement in order for it to be truly safe and stable. Greek banks are totally secure, as an integral part of the European banking system. This was apparent last night from the discussion in Cannes.
What is important is for the sixth tranche to be disbursed, without any distractions or delay, according to the decisions of Eurogroup of October 26, which came as a result of 10 hours of hard negotiations.
The next step is to activate, before the end of the year, the new support programme that provides Greece with an additional 130 billion euro and leads to a reduction of Greek sovereign debt of about 100 billion euro. The completion of these processes is a national project.
I traveled to Cannes right after being discharged from the hospital because I think that this was my national duty. Having an immediate picture of the situation in Europe and around the world, I have a duty to tell the Greek people the full and simple truth:
If we want to protect the country we must, under conditions of national unity and political seriousness and consensus, implement without any delay the decision of October 26. Now, as soon as possible.
However, what the Government and the parliamentary majority do alone is not enough towards this goal. What is being done and said on a European and international level concerns equally the opposition, especially New Democracy, the main opposition party, which has been conveyed the same strong messages from Cannes and the position of which, were it positive, would act as a guarantee for the country’s international credibility, whereas when it has been negative, it has damaged severely this credibility at a serious cost for Greek citizens.
Internal political balances and the future of individuals and political parties of this country is not what matters. What matters is to save and recover the country through the only doable process which is included in the decision of October 26
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A Greek tragedy.
Watch dictatorship win over democracy and weep.
So much for all this “cradle of democracy” and “why don’t we do the same in Ireland” nonsense, reality kicks in hopefully
I for one hope the Greeks get their referendum and the result that will hopefully lead to the collapse of the euro and all the shit that goes with it.
The harsh reality for millions of Greeks is that romantic notions about democracy won’t put food on the table next month. They have a stark choice. Accept the bail out.. Death by a thousand cuts… Or reject the bailout… Instant death. Their pompous politicians ought to be ashamed for bring their Nation to it’s knees.
The € will croak and the quicker and less painful the better,Insane concept from the off.
Why was it insane?
We are witnessing the explicit emergence of authoritarian capitalism. No longer can we have any illusion that democracy has any part to play in the plans of those who wish to continue with unending wealth accumulation.
Meanwhile on the streets of Oakland we see this http://twitpic.com/7aazyi
The game has yet to be played out. If this kinda of authoritarianism is not resisted as China becomes the greatest superpower idea of genuine democracy will be snuffed out for sure. thats the choice now authoritarian capitalism where societys rule are organised from above by and few for a few. Or democracy from below where we govern ourselves as equals. The idea that there is no left and no right is the greatest stunt the right has pulled, but make no doubt of the iron fist that lies at the heart of the “free markets”
Emergence of authoritarian capitalism !!!! it’s been that way since man came out of the caves
We are not an automatic democracy. We elect representatives and they think for us for five years. Vote good quality people in every five years then largely STFU. However if we vote in venal twits like about 50% of our politicians are we’ll have to keep demanding a vote every 6 months no matter what. It is not part of (or even good practice in any circumstances) to give everyone a broad vote on every economics bill.
Now some you can make an argument for but one that writes down vast chunks of their debt is the only way to go.
“Instant death” is bit dramatic don’t you think. Headline should read ‘Greek finance minister’s grab for power’.
Come on Papandreou!
A figure of speech only. I don’t envisage bodies all over Athens streets.. This is getting dangerous now. Financial warfare is being unleashed on Europes citizens. Dramatic enough??:)
A bit of back peddling finally! About time
Napoleon in high heels and Hitler in drag. Don’t worry. All is not lost. This is the final act in the farce that is “the markets”.
This is the future – Ordinary Greeks are taking matters into their own hands:
“In early October, a peculiar news item barely made its way into the back pages of Greek national press: in the northern city of Veria, a small group of people had started reconnecting the electricity supply of households disconnected from the national grid due to bill non-payment. This kind of solidarity action seemed rather abnormal.
Then again, it is difficult to define what constitutes normality in the country nowadays – the upper echelon of political power is in an unprecedented turmoil, and Tuesday’s referendum announcement by prime minister George Papandreou, followed by him reportedly preparing to step down, has thrown his political allies and foes into a tailspin. Parliamentary opposition parties are calling for a “national unity” government, snap elections, or a succession of the two; the entire mainstream political spectrum in the country seems to have entered a delirious state of panic. In a stunningly surreal scene, eurozone leaders and global markets are nervously waiting for people in Greece to cast a vote.
And yet, at this precise moment, Greek people are realising they are left with what they had at the outset – that is, absolutely nothing to hope for from the mainstream political scene.”
See more here http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/nov/03/greeks-austerity-grassroots?CMP=twt_gu
What’s brendan Gleason doing there
Lol neo.
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