Automatically translated from Basque, translation may contain errors. More information here. Elhuyarren itzultzaile automatikoaren logoa

Greece and the European Union What about citizenship and politics?

Uncertainty about the future of Greece is about to end, at least formally, after the negotiations and the concerns of recent months. Greece has accepted the conditions of the European Union (EU), following the rejection in a referendum of the Greek people of the "last proposal" of the EU.

Losing Greece: the economic measures – and those now – that have been imposed on it since the first rescue have only brought poverty, as in other countries: privatisations of public services, cuts in social rights, reduced taxes on large assets and incomes and increased taxes on small incomes. That is, destroying economic activity and employment, and increasing the wealth of powerful groups and people. After all, if Greece – or any other country – comes out of the hole, it gets into another: its economic dependence will be huge, its very scarce resources and its society divided and in general very impoverished.

The EU does not gain much by implementing such policies either. We now know that economic austerity has failed and served to satisfy large economic groups. What does the EU gain by sinking Greece, if, at the end of the day, we have to manage debts and profits together?

Who wins? Even though it has been repeated over and over again, the victory has been for Germany. He has imposed conditions on all other countries and it is he who sets the pace. It seems false, in the 2nd century BC. Much of the apologies that other countries, including Greece, have received following the World War, given the impossibility of Germany contracting its economic debt. It seems to be a lie that he has such poor memory and that he does not apply to others the advantages he himself gave. This triumph, however, is nothing more than apparent: on the one hand, in Germany, inequalities between citizens are growing rapidly; on the other hand, as in the past, in future Germany will need Europeans – if not, think about where it sells most of its production – at the end of the day economic interests win, but not the people. But it also needs to be clarified:

– The current situation in Greece is a result of the attitude of previous governments and the EU: Greek banks were over-indebted, this private debt was made public and its financing was also made tailor-made for the EU, which, despite the high original public debt, has increased considerably.

– The situation in Greece is not just his fault: The EU accepted them without giving its opinion on the "fake accounts" presented by this country.

– The measures imposed so far by the troika have been implemented in Greece: Behind Norway, Greece is the country that has reduced the deficit the most and the fastest in public spending. And the consequences of these measures are well known to the Greeks. In addition, most of the money he has received from the rescue has been paid to the banks via the Internet.

What about politics? What about the people? What about democracy? I applaud this democratic initiative when the Tsipras Government announced the referendum. I applaud the result because the dignity of the Greeks was at stake, because it called politics and strengthened the position of Tsipras – in the conviction that the whole of the Greek people would be in the negotiations. I do not know what has happened since, what difficulties and “threats” have been created, but it is clear that the voice of the Greeks has not been heard. Neither the Greeks nor social justice. How will this “new” situation be considered in a people that has spoken so clearly?

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