Grèce

“Call me when you get there”: this has become the iconic phrase of the revolt that has erupted since the February 28 train accident that claimed the lives of fifty-seven passengers, mainly students. 65,000 workers and youth demonstrated on 8 March throughout Greece. In Athens, Syntagma Square, just in front of the Parliament, echoed the 2010-2011 demonstrations against the Troika’s (IMF-European Commission- European Central Bank) austerity programme. Feeling the threat of revolt, Prime Minister Mitsotakis (New Democracy, right wing) is trying to weather the events: « I apologize for myself, but also on behalf of all those who have governed the country for years. » The apology was lambasted as « belated » by the main « leftist » party, Syriza. But Syriza bears just as much responsibility as the right, and the « socialist » PASOK Party for the privatisation of the railways, which has led to the Tempi accident. The privatisation drive was initiated in 2005 under a [...]

Pensioners demonstrate in Athens against the decline of pensions. Kyriakos Mitsotakis and his right-wing New Democracy (ND) party will be able to be alone at the helm thanks to the advantage given to the party which made it first at the post at the first round of the general elections on July 7th. Indeed, ND reaps almost 40 % of the votes (and 158 deputies out of 300). The turnout stood at 58 %, lower than the one at the EU elections last May.  During his ten weeks’ campaigning, Mitsotakis multiplied electoral promises towards the “middle class” (a hackneyed phrase used to avoid mentioning social classes!): attracting more investments, stepping up privatisations, promoting entrepreneurship.  Numerous discussions sprouted everywhere in the recent weeks on the question: Should one vote for Tsipras to prevent Mitsotakis from winning?  The Tsipras government recently enacted several measures to ease the poverty of some layers of society: access to hospital care [...]