The established old Greek political system (mainly the two ruling parties) has lost its political legitimacy. There is a widespread lack of trust among Greek citizens for the austerity measures being imposed on them by the EU/ECB and the IMF. However, a clear majority of Greek citizens want Greece to stay in the Euro. The government ought to have explored, negotiated and implemented balanced, equitable and effective measures for a cohesion solution to the crisis. Instead, it applied ineffective, socially unjust and environmentally destructive measures, exacerbating the economic crisis, dissolving any social cohesion and leading a great number of citizens to unemployment, poverty and social marginalization. The EGP believes that fiscal adjustment is quite different from an attack on social and environmental sustainability.
The rescue of Greek economy cannot be achieved by a continuing reliance on the failed socially unjust austerity measures. Instead, we need strong political will and measures to combat tax evasion, ambitious tax harmonisation and revenue-side measures, as well as reforms in economy and public administration function. There is a need to set out a ambitious green investment programme, based on Green New Deal, which will help promote sustainable economic recovery. The European Commission should come forward with a proposal to the Greek Parliament and the new government, as soon as possible, with a view to it being adopted at the European Council in December. This must be a central part of the agreement with Greece on the next phase of the bail out, so that Greek citizens can be reassured that their future in Europe is based on solidarity and stability.
The Greek Ecologists Greens put up a very hard struggle in a hostile political environment dominated by populism from both ends of the political spectrum, while being deliberately excluded from the political debates in all established mass media. We appreciate the strong interest and significant efforts of the Green Group in European Parliament, the European Green Party and the national green parties regarding a positive outcome of the debt crisis in the Eurozone and especially the serious problems in Greece. The EGP expresses its support and solidarity in efforts of the Greek Ecologist Greens to enter the Greek Parliament in the forthcoming national elections and to represent real alternative green, political, democratic solutions for Greece.
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