The so-called “Institutions” have decided to chastise the Greeks for their vote in last Sunday’s referendum, and the Greek government seems to be putting in a concerted effort to react. Greek PM Alexis Tsipras delivered an emphatic speech in the European Parliament while the President of the Hellenic Parliament Zoe Konstantopoulou sent a letter to the President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz.

By Gerasimos Livitsanos

Over the last few hours, incoming information suggests negotiations are coming to a conflict, even though the Greek government is to set out its proposals tomorrow. Despite the string of alternative proposals submitted by the Greek side, there seem to be at least three recurring features in the creditors’ attitude:

  • Implementation of practices outside the EU legal framework; officials tend to adopt the kind of behaviour that excluded Greece from the penultimate Eurogroup.
  • Persistent rejection of any immediate or even medium-term measures towards restoring liquidity in Greek economy, even though the creditors’ own specific decisions are to blame for the situation.
  • Last but not least, an obsession on behalf of the creditors with referring to their proposals as “humanitarian aid” which, at least from the Greek side’s viewpoint, fully confirms their effort to create a climate of humanitarian crisis.

Apparently, these three points have led the Greek side to assess the creditors’ overall strategy as an international act of crime against the Greek people.  

Let’s not forget that, in his European Parliament speech, Tsipras underlined that “we may come up with a programme we see fit, but this is not enough; the programme must also be feasible, that is, feasible in terms of social consent”. The Greek PM added, “we come here bearing a strong mandate from the Greek people, and with our own strong will, not to join Europe, but to clash with the status quo in our own country, to clash with established notions and mentalities which have been as detrimental to Greece as they are now to the Eurozone”.

Regarding the Greek proposals, Tsipras made it clear that “they do not aim at placing a heavier burden on European taxpayers. Let us be honest: the financial aid provided to Greece never quite reached the people. It was all money given to save the Greek and European banks, though the Greek people never saw a penny.”