Announcement of the KKE on the Third Memorandum the Government signed with the Institutions

The third Memorandum, agreed upon with the Institutions by the SYRIZA-ANEL government, and coming to the Parliament for approval, must face the greatest possible reaction on the part of workers and the entire people. It contains measures of such harshness and cruelty that no government in the past dared implement, fearing popular reaction. This is the great contribution of the SYRIZA government to the system. Using the fairytale of the "left government" and of the "Prime Minister who tried but was prevented", the government is moving ahead with the implementation of barbaric measures, that were permanent demands of big capital and of EU directives, and that demolish whatever was left standing of worker and people's rights.

The third Memorandum and its accompanying implementation laws include the continuation of all previous Memoranda and the commitment that anti-popular measures will be implemented to the letter. It contains new, painful measures on labor rights, insurance, the self-employed, small and middle farmers, making their survival even more difficult. At the same tie, it contains the implementation of measures aiming at the improvement of competitiveness and profitability of capital, the concentration of wealth into even fewer hands, through privatizations, OECD directives, the recapitalization of banks, the further liberalization of the energy market, the fund to which 50 billion euros worth of state property will be deposited.

PAME: Response to the Tsipras-Juncker joint statement

The Tsipras-Juncker joint statement is the harbinger of a new, guillotine-type agreement 

P.A.ME

The Tsipras-Juncker joint statement issued today, and relating to labor and social security issues, as well as the presentation of its content as an indication of progress, mean that we are getting closer to new anti-labor and anti-people measures. The joint statement is the harbinger of a new, guillotine-type agreement for the people -- a new "Memorandum."

Just as the "Troika" was rebaptized as "Institutions", so the butchering of whatever labor and popular rights have remained in labor relations and social security is rebaptized "a modern and effective system of collective bargaining" and a "modernization of the pension system."

Do not be fooled! What they announced with the joint statement is the new onslaught that will base itself on laws on which the slaughter of labor and insurance rights was built during all the previous years. It is proved in practice that the bravado of the government concerning alleged "red lines" was thin air!

Tsipras-Juncker Joint Statement

The joint statement:

President [of the European Commission] Jean-Claude Juncker and Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras had a telephone conversation today. They noted the progress achieved in the last few days in discussions between Greece and its partners on the question of the comprehensive lit of reforms required for the successful completion of the evaluation procedure.

There was special reference to the importance of reforms for the modernization of the pension system, so as to render it fair, fiscally sustainable and effective, in the direction of avoiding the impoverishment of the elderly. 

There was also a discussion on the need to have wage-related developments and the institutions of the labor market play a supportive role in the creation of jobs, in competitiveness and in social cohesion. Within this context, there was agreement on the role of a modern and effective system of collective bargaining, which must develop through broad discussion and fulfill the highest European standards.

The constructive talks must continue within the framework of the Brussels Group.

SKAI

So, who has profited from EU "Loan Agreements"? And who has paid for them?

One of the most annoying aspects of the situation since the January elections is watching both SYRIZA supporters and SYRIZA detractors talk endlessly about "Greek obligations" toward the EU, whether they should be fulfilled, to what extent, and how. No one ever bothers to specify whose obligations these obligations really are and who has paid for them all these years. Old Karl Marx, of course, knew very well what bourgeois "debtology" is all about, for he has ominously remarked (Capital, Vol. 1, Chapter 31): "The only part of the so-called national wealth that actually enters into the collective possessions of modern peoples is their national debt."

Using Marx as means of understanding the contemporary situation with "national debt" was the main preoccupation of a book published, to great commercial success, by KKE member and journalist Nikos Bogiopoulos. Its title --It's Capitalism, Stupid (2011; pictured above)-- was nonetheless borrowed from a rather unlikely source, Bill Clinton. Bogiopoulos is extremely well known in Greece for his meticulous documentation of the glaring social injustice hidden behind the myth of "national debt", but as he has the great misfortune of being a KKE member, he is totally ignored by the global pundits of all things "Marxist" in Greece; they are too busy promoting more "convenient" versions of the product from the academic factories of the "global left".

This post is intended to throw some basic light on the reality of the situation, simply by translating data from some of the scores of economic research articles Bogiopoulos published in the last few years. I hope that it will settle once and for all the question: "WHO OWES WHO WHAT?"

***

Announcement of the P.O of the CC of KKE on the Eurogroup Agreement

The Press Office of the Central Committee of KKE has issued an announcement on the government's agreement at the Eurogroup.

The announcement is as follows:

"Independently of how it will be called, the government agreement is in both form and substance an extension of the Memorandum, involving strict monitoring, the evaluation of the economy by the institutions (the Troika), and, most importantly, the continuation of anti-popular reforms. Whatever revision to the program, e.g, lower primary surpluses, will not be implemented to relieve the people, but to reinforce the recovery of capital, in other words, capitalist profit, while for the people, the anti-popular measures adopted in previous year remain active. This is why even the breadcrumbs promised by the government through its program will depend on agreement with European partners and on the condition that fiscal austerity and economic recovery will not be jeopardized.

The people, who have been bled dry all these years, and were hoping for something better, must not give in to disappointment. They must not give up on the goal of the real abolition of Memoranda, implementation laws, the goal of recovering their losses. They can achieve that by moving on the path of struggle, aimed at disengagement from the EU, the unilateral cancellation of debt, the socialization of the wealth of the country."

902 

Text translated by Lenin Reloaded.

Empty Blustering

The bargaining between the SYRIZA-ANEL coalition government and the staff of the EU officially began on 30/1, when J. Dijsselbloem, the Eurogroup President, visited Athens. 

In his meeting with the Prime Minister, A. Tsipras, and the Finance Minsiter, G. Varoufakis, the new government's dedication to the competitiveness of capital, balanced budgets, primary surpluses and restructuring was confirmed. 

At the same time, the more general antagonisms of capital manifested themselves more intensely. The formulation of J. Dijsselbloem was characteristic: in response to the position regarding an "international conference" about the Greek state debt, he stated that the "conference has a name, it is the Eurogroup". In other words, he stated that whatever decisions are taken will be taken at the level of the EU without interventions from other sides, such as the IMF, for example. 

M. Papadopoulos-Negotiations at the Enemy Camp, Part II

A different path to the "frugal life" 

Whatever the outcome of the negotiations, it will not lead to a significant improvement of the position of the working class. The previous big "haircut" of sovereign debt in Greece (PSI) not only did not result in the economic relief of the people but it was accompanied by an escalation of anti-popular attack. This example helps make clear that a change in the management and the level of government debt does not automatically lead to any improvement of social policy or to an increase of popular income. 

As long as the goal of increasing monopoly profit remains, the sacrifice of social needs and rights will continue. Protecting the competitiveness of capital and the recovery of losses of the workers at the same time are not compatible goals. Capitalist development runs counter to popular welfare, whichever management of sovereign debt is chosen. 

M. Papadopoulos-Negotiations at the Enemy Camp, Part I

M. Papadopoulos*

Negotiations at the enemy camp 
Rizospastis [The Radical]: Organ of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Greece,
1 February 2015

"Substantial negotiations." This will be the slogan of the post-election trade in hope in the coming months. Both the coalition government of SYRIZA - ANEL and the major bourgeois media are promoting the meeting of the Minister of Finance Yannis Varoufakis with the President of Eurogroup, Jeroen Dijsselbloem, as the starting point of a marathon of negotiations that may lead to better days in Greece and in the EU at large. 

The ideological climate which promotes reduced expectations and demands, one which unfortunately prevails today among the wage earners, is exploited to reinforce the illusion that a "tough", "decisive" negotiation might lead to a shift of the bourgeois administration of the economy in the people's interest. There is an attempt to establish the idea that the large losses in the family income of the Greek lower classes during the crisis period are final, and that this is no longer the issue anyway; at the same time, what is projected as the only way out for future popular prosperity is the speedy return to higher rates of capitalist growth, to economic recovery and increased profits for monopoly groups. 

To expose the myth of hard bargaining that will allegedly lead to "development for all", wherein both monopolies and wage-earners and the self-employed "win", we must examine that myth's content. 

Whip the workers to save the bosses-The Radical, 25 July 2012

ND-PASOK-DIMAR Government:

Whip the workers to save the bosses

The attack in “Halyvourgia” almost monopolised the PM's speech in the parliament group of New Democracy, showing their fear and hate towards class-oriented struggles.

The three party government of ND–PASOK-DIMAR, based on the words of the prime minister, appears to be determined to use the “whip” of state violence and repression to crush the people's and workers' struggles and guarantee the profitability of business groups, escalating the war.

With the unprecedented, dirty and slanderous attack launched against the heroic strikers of “Halyvourgia”, he confirmed beyond any doubt that the real target is the whole working class. At the same time he made it clear that the demolition of labour and insurance rights and the crushing of workers' struggles by any means necessary, is already decided by the government and is a precondition for economic recovery, the renewal of the profitability of the monopolies and the “attraction of investments”.

Basically, with yesterday's speech, A. Samaras placed the right to strike in front of the firing squad. He announced in advance the revocation of those labour and insurance rights that were left standing and openly declared war against the workers who stand up and organise against the antipopular politics and who struggle to overthrow it.

At the same time he reaffirmed the commitment of the three-party government towards its lenders and partners, not only to implement all the brutal and antipopular measures they have jointly decided upon, but to take even more measures! He himself didn't hide that “the new approach of the government is aggressive”, being quick to clarify that what this means is “wherever we can, we will surpass the goals to which we have committed”(!).

Commitments inside and outside of the country

More specifically, Samaras, in his first speech after the policy statements during yesterday's session of the parliament group of ND:

1. Confirmed beyond any doubt that the attack of the riot police against the strikers of Halyvourgia is the “general rehearsal” for the crushing of the people's and workers' struggles by any means necessary. He said provocatively “We showed in the yard of “Halyvourgia” that we mean what we say”, while at the same time he waged a dirty and slanderous war against the strikers, in order to justify the gangster-like attack of the riot police. He shamelessly claimed that “A group of trade unionists had taken over a factory for seven months, keeping from work those who wanted to work and driving hundreds of workers to unemployment. The factory was about to close. We stopped this”.

The attack of the riot police against the strikers of “Halyvourgia” was presented by the prime minister as an important signal of the government during the first month of office, indicating willingness to “regain the country's credibility abroad, something necessary to attract investments, create job positions, regain our competitiveness”

He announced in advance the demolition of the labour rights and the de facto cancellation of the right to strike, in the name of “the right to work”, as they now call strike-breaking and the deployment of employers' mechanisms! With brazen cynicism he claimed: “We have the utmost respect towards the workers' rights. Especially the most sacred one: The right to work! Which was being violated and directly threatened. We restored it. It's that simple”.

At the same time, he clearly suggested that he will be sending the riot police to every factory where the workers strike to defend their rights. He pointedly said “We're sending a clear message everywhere: While we are in this unemployment, trade union practices such as this are used that threaten to close more factories, we will not sit idle looking at desperate workers losing their jobs”.

He also repeated the reactionary position that he expressed before the elections, i.e that he finds it unthinkable for labour and other rights to exist when there is unemployment! He brazenly argued that “labour rights are sacred. But for labour rights to exist there has to be work! If someone is unemployed, his labour rights are revoked in the most brutal way”, brutally distorting reality and attempting to obfuscate that it is capitalism and monopolies that generate unemployment.

In the same spirit and completely shamelessly, he didn't hesitate to present himself as the protector of the unemployed (!) stating shamelessly that “those that supposedly defend the workers' rights by sending them earlier to unemployment are pitiless! They are enemies of the workers and of labour rights” (!) In order to make his fairy tale role as the workers' protector more convincing, he pompously claimed that the government during the four years of office will lower unemployment from 24%, where it stands today, to 10% by destroying once and for all labour relations and splitting a (part-time) job so it can be share by two or even three unemployed persons.

He made it clear that the currently promoted exit plan out of the crisis in favour of the plutocracy will include more brutal and reactionary measures, driving the people to unregulated bankruptcy and poverty. Answering the question of “how we will achieve our goals – what is our plan” made by himself, he noted : “First we will show that the country respects its goals, which are our goals. Then we will show that we can implement everything that has to be done. Then we will show that in order to achieve our goals some things have to change, especially those that aggravate and deepen the recession”.

In this context, he announced in advance sweeping privatisations and the “fast track” selling off of public property. He noted that “We can do more and faster as regards structural changes, privatisations and the utilization of assets. We have already sent this message. And now we have a very limited time to prove that we mean what we say”.

That is exactly why yesterday he rushed to announce the list with the first abolitions and mergers of public institutions. He also mentioned that the government will soon introduce a law which will “drastically limit bureaucracy and everything that drives away investments” in order for “the investors to be able to come to Greece”.

The president of the Commission who is visiting Athens tomorrow, is expected to offer his support in order to “bring the program back in track” towards the government .Tomorrow at noon, the new meeting of the three political leaders who support the government will also take place, in order to decide the measures' package of a total of 3+11.5 billion over the next three years and also the list of the businesses that will be privatized.

The Radical

Translated by: Yannis Tembelis

Translation edited by: Lenin Reloaded