Mikis Theodorakis had said earlier in the week that he would back Alexis Tsipras’ party in the upcoming elections on the condition that it rids Greece of the terms of the bailout agreement with international lenders.
But on Thursday the iconic Greek composer lashed out against anti-bailout party Syriza for ‘using’ him in the runup to the 2012 elections to increase its electoral power and for not living up to the historic struggles of the Greek Left.
In a letter (link in Greek) he wrote to a friend that was posted on his website, the legendary Greek musician and activist, accused the main opposition party of fomenting factionalism to destroy the non-political movement he founded in 2010 ‘Spitha’ (Spark), which called on the Greeks to rebel against the harsh austerity measures.
“They have created other groups with the name Spitha, exploiting my reputation,” he said, adding that in the run-up to the 2012 elections there was talk of an alliance with his movement but Syriza “just used us to increase its electoral power and to enter parliament aiming to govern, having, however, abandoned the two pillars of defence, the popular front and the country’s wealth”.
He said that Syriza had initially accepted his proposal for the creation of a popular people’s front to rid Greece of the memorandum, agreeing that this could not be done through the system (elections, parliament, government) without having first creating the conditions that will allow the people to defend themselves against the certainty of the opposition coming from Greece’s creditors.
“There were two preconditions: Firstly, the creation of a national popular front with the participation of the majorιty of the Greek people and, secondly, the search for financial resources for the country’s development through joint ventures with large economic powers (east and west) to harness the country’s huge wealth (on land and sea)”.
The aim, he said, was for the front to take part in elections and govern. But he said that Syriza backed down and just’ used us’.
In the letter posted on his website, Theodorakis said he doubted whether Syriza could meet his demand to cancel all the agreements with the country's troika of lenders.
“I know the condition I set in order to back Syriza is unfeasible because it would lead to a tremendous clash with unpredictable consequences,” he said.
Syriza, he said, cannot declare that it will end the memorandum signed with the country’s international lenders because it will be difficult, if not impossible, to withstand the attacks of ruthless creditors and other foreign powers without organised popular support and the prospect of a self-sufficient economy based on the country’s own wealth.
The 89-year-old rued that due to his advanced age he could no longer react to blows below the belt.
“Unfortunately, my age doesn’t allow me to react, as I did all my life, to below the belt blows that I still receive,” he said, adding however that “my memory and thought remains intact and give me the strength to defend the Greek people and leftist ideals”.