Leaving behind the period of accountability for the SYRIZA government and what he and his comrades accomplished, Alexis Tsipras appeared from Crete, where he spoke for the last time about his book “Ithaca”, more ready than ever to take the next step toward establishing a new political entity, showing that he is in reality the opponent of Kyriakos Mitsotakis. “I come at a time when the furnace is rekindling,” he said characteristically.
Tsipras’ plan for progressive coalition restructuring
The former prime minister, after emphasizing that “recycling corruption is not fate, it’s a choice,” said that today “honesty, meritocracy, transparency, accountability are demanded everywhere. A moral revolution, existentially necessary today for our homeland. And yes, we can guarantee these things. To fight the battle so they become the rule and way of operation of any government. Because these constitute not simply our convictions. But our very political identity.”
In his speech, the former prime minister spoke about the need to “transcend current formations, aiming for a progressive, colorful, but programmatically compact, disciplined and effective entity.” Once again he appeared to differentiate his position from today’s parties and spoke about restructuring the progressive coalition.
Alexis Tsipras: The call to “old” allies and opening to new faces
Furthermore, he addressed a call to his former comrades, emphasizing that the new effort will be “open to all who understand its necessity across the entire progressive spectrum. Without exclusions, but without exclusivity of positions.” He even showed, in his way, that what he desires is to combine experience with the freshness of new faces, expressing the governing Left of our era. “Political formations must respond to society’s needs. Mainly those forces they want to represent,” he noted characteristically.
Wiretapping scandal in crosshairs: “We must denounce both the crime and the cover-up”
The former prime minister referred to the wiretapping scandal saying: “You saw the latest unbelievable development in the wiretapping scandal. New shocking evidence emerged in the trial of four private individuals, including the owner of the company that distributed the notorious Predator in Greece. Two thousand pages were sent to the Supreme Court by the court that convicted them to severe penalties, requesting further investigation for criminal acts, such as espionage. And political involvement. And what did the Supreme Court prosecutor appointed by Mr. Mitsotakis do? He decided in zero time that there’s no reason to reopen the case. Even though Intellexa’s Dilian himself publicly declared that his company provides surveillance software only to governments and state organizations, Greek Justice insists that ‘indisputably’ -their word- there’s no political involvement in the scandal. ‘I’m speechless,’ was the comment of former ADAE president Christos Rammos on this decision. And when honest Justice officials are left speechless, we must use all our voice to denounce both the crime and the cover-up.”
Attack on PPC: “Economic crime” and criticism of CVC
Alexis Tsipras also referred to the PPC capital increase issue, saying “I highlighted the day before yesterday an issue you won’t see or read in the media. Because PPC has stuffed the advertising market with money. And why don’t they highlight it, either from ignorance or interests, the parties of today’s opposition. I spoke of economic crime, because with public resources, with Greek taxpayers’ money, games are played so a foreign FUND, CVC, which today is the main private shareholder of the company, can profit. And I spoke of a big trick. They increase PPC’s share capital to make investments abroad, in Hungary and Romania. And the State participates by paying 1.3 billion. Plus about 2 billion they’ve taken from the Recovery Fund, totaling 3.5 billion from taxpayers’ pockets to PPC in recent years. And what’s the return to consumers? Sky-high bills and PPC leads the energy cartel that inflates electricity bills. And when I revealed the day before yesterday that they’re squandering resources belonging to the people for their own benefit, what did they answer? Not that I’m wrong. But that supposedly we handed them an indebted PPC and they’ve managed to create a profitable PPC. They created, they say, a national champion.”
The pillars of Tsipras’ proposal
On a programmatic level, he set three pillars on which the state should be restructured:
1. The new development model the country needs with support for manufacturing and industrial development, among others.
2. Tax justice and redistribution for the benefit of the underprivileged.
3. Serious public investments in health and education and formation of a strong protection network from preschool age to the elderly. “We want the Greece of democracy, social justice and progress,” he emphasized characteristically.
Crete: The political and symbolic message of the speech
Closing his speech, the former prime minister noted: “Crete is not and we cannot let it be synonymous with ‘Frappe’ and ‘Butcher,’ with fraud and corruption. But with democracy, justice, culture, struggles for freedom and dignity. And this Crete is not for sale and cannot be bought, government gentlemen. The Crete of Theotokopoulos, Venizelos, Kazantzakis, Therissos and Kandanos. As you speakers say here in your victory songs: We lit a fire and it grows. And I came to speak to you today about such a fire, at the last stop of my book presentation.”
