"The
lenders are effectively asking Greece to sign its own suicide note":
Syriza-Economist Coastas Lapavitsas warns greek PM Alexis Tsipras of
accepting the demands of international creditors - and proposes to
leave the euro
Key
parts from the interview on Der Tagesspiegel
“Syriza
was voted on the basis of its programme to lift austerity, which is
both desirable and necessary for Greece. But the Eurozone insists on
austerity. If Greece wants to stay in the Eurozone, it has to comply
with austerity policies, it is clear. So SYRIZA has to decide which
way to go. It is time for Plan B.”
“If we
will go back to austerity measures similar to those we have had
during the last five years, this will be the end of Greece as an
economy, as a society, as a country. There is no doubt about it. The
lenders are effectively asking Greece to sign its own suicide note.
We have to consider the other options.”
“I want
to trust the Syriza leadership, I believe that they have genuine left
wing instincts. I also think that take very seriously the mandate
they have received from the Greek people. I don't think they will
accept this proposal which is against our programme. That will be the
end of SYRIZA as a left-wing party.”
“I see
the issue like many SYRIZA MPs: we have a democratic mandate to
implement our programme. Not to keep Greece in the Eurozone under all
circumstances, that is not what the people voted for. We said, we
have a programme, we want to implement it, and - but secondarily - we
hope to do so within the Eurozone. If the deal doesn't allow us to
implement our programme, than we have no mandate. For me, the
question of voting in Parliament is a question of the obligation I
have to my voters. I didn’t take part in the election for fun.”
“... we
have to be really honest with the people. We have to tell them what
the real options are. Until now the official position has been: we
will achieve a good compromise, a mutually beneficial agreement. But
the lenders are giving us nothing. It is time to prepare the Greek
people for drastic action even without a deal with the lenders. An
exit from the Eurozone would not necessarily be chaotic – there are
people in Greece who know how to handle it. And there is reason to
believe that it would open up a promising path for the country,
certainly compared to the terrible deal that the lenders are
offering. But the choice really belongs with the people. I am in
favour of a fresh mandate, either a referendum or new elections, it
could be done very fast if necessary.”
Source:
... new elections would be
meaningful only if SYRIZA show determination and speak clearly and
openly to the people. SYRIZA should ask wide majority in order to
bring a deal without sacrificing a single point of its red lines.
Then, in case that the lenders insist, SYRIZA should say that it
has plan B, which is the exit from eurozone and return to national
currency.
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