NOVANEWS
– Arindam Sen
Part II
Like in Venezuela, the left movement in Greece too now finds itself at a crossroads – but of a very different kind. Let us pick up the thread where we left it in our October 2015 number (Greece: Betraying People’s Referendum, Syriza Capitulates to Troika’s Memorandum).
In the Aftermath of the Syriza Somersault
January 2015 saw Syriza gatecrash into power riding on the crest of a powerful mass movement; in January 2016 it finds itself as the target of the very same movement against the atrocious debt slavery imposed by the imperialist troika and administered by an elected government.
The outrageous capitulation of the Syriza leadership before lenders’ blackmailing in July 2015 naturally led to a sense of frustration and cynicism replacing the combative mood of the people. This was reflected in reduction of voter participation from 63% in January to 55% in the September elections, the lowest in memory. Syriza got 145 seats (four fewer than in January) while neo-fascist Golden Dawn improved its score from 6.8% in January to 7.9%. The Syriza-ANEL coalition was returned to the seat of power.
From late October, disgruntlement started assuming the shape of organised protests. A nationwide general strike took place on November 12 and the second one rocked the country on December 15. Since January this year, hundreds of trade unions rallied by the All-workers’ Militant Front (PAME, founded on the initiative of Communist Party of Greece (KKE) in 1999) have been carrying out mobilizations in various forms like pickets, strikes, demonstrations and symbolic occupations of public buildings. On the 26th, demonstrators in Athens reached Parliament and urged the government to abandon the austerity measures. Apart from PAME, the “All-farmers’ Militant Rally” (PASY), the “Nationwide Anti-monopoly Rally” (PASEVE), the Students’ Struggle Front (MAS) and the Federation of Greek Women (OGE) are playing important roles in Athens and other cities. Farmers with tractors blocked the country’s borders and main motorways on February 2.
The third general strike on February 4 was marked by one of the largest mobilization in recent years. Thousands of workers, farmers, self-employed persons and students filled the streets of all major cities. The central demand was withdrawal of the “law-guillotine” — the draft law seeking reductions in retirement age as well as pensions and state spending on public healthcare and welfare on one hand and increased social security contributions of workers on the other.
The current spate of militant protests represents the fourth landmark in the people’s stubborn struggles during this past one year – the fourth consecutive demonstration of their political wisdom and activism. First, they — including women and men from the traditional support base of PASOK and KKE — unhesitatingly handed over the reins of governance to a new-born party that promised, and put forward a detailed programme for, liberation from debt slavery and the austerity noose. But they did not stop there. Massive mobilisations took place under the slogan “Not One Step Back”, thus extending support to, and also exerting pressure on, the government to walk the talk.
The active vigilance continued in the shape of pre-referendum rallies in July and laid the basis of the next, i.e., third move: the emphatic ‘Oxi’ (NO) vote in utter contempt of the rightists’ doomsday predictions in the event of refusing the Troika proposals. And then, even after Syriza went against the mandates of the July referendum and the January elections, citizens of Greece gave it one last chance to prove itself rather than swinging back to the confirmed yes-men of the Troika. Finally, after they waited and watched for a month or so, they said enough is enough and began to hit the street in ever-growing numbers, as summarised above.
