Greeks in Thessaloniki protest austerity measures

Thousands of Greeks mount protests at new austerity measures imposed to meet terms of the bailout provisions imposed by the Troika

In Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city, protesters marched by the thousands during an annual fair. The protest was against a new round of wage and pension cuts demanded by the international lenders, the Troika, in exchange for more money to stave off bankruptcy.

Fifteen thousand trade union members and leftists took part in the protest against the almost 12 billion euro package of austerity measures. Prime Minister Antonis Samaras has introduced the savage cuts to convince EU and IMF inspectors that Greece is making progress on reforms required to receive more funds.

Some protesters burned EU flags but the protests were largely peaceful and about 3,500 police simply looked on. Nearly one in four Greeks are now jobless. Thousands of businesses have closed down as well. At the festival Samaras made only a brief appearance to defend the planned cuts rather than making an annual economic policy speech as was the custom.Samaras said:

"We are trying to minimize the pain from the cuts as much as possible but we have to make the cuts, because there is no other way..I am telling you the truth, there is no other way."

The leader of the main opposition party Alexis Tsipras of the SYRIZA party criticized Samaras for his short low-key speech:"

The prime minister came and left like a thief - perhaps he is ashamed,"

SYRIZA opposes the bailout terms. While Samaras and his Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras have won praise from some European officials for attempting to meet the terms of the bailout they face growing opposition within Greece. Samaras is hoping that Greece can be given two more years to implement the austerity measures. As of now they are slated for 2013 and 2014. Already the economy has been in recession for years. In this year alone the economy is expected to contract by 7 per cent.

As the Troika conclude a review of Greek progress in the coming days more protests can be expected. The results of the review will determine if Greece will receive the next installment of bail out money. If it does not receive the money Greece could default on its debt.

More Greek protests over austerity after pensioner suicide

A 77 year old pensioner shot himself outside the Greek parliament buildings yesterday. A suicide note he left criticized the austerity measures implemented by the government including reducing his pension to nothing the note claimed.

Protesters threw rocks and Molotov cocktails outside the parliament buildings. In return police fired tear gas and flash grenades.

The suicide note by the 77 year old read in part:"" "The government has annihilated all traces for my survival, which was based on a very dignified pension that I alone paid for 35 years with no help from the state..."And since my advanced age does not allow me a way of dynamically reacting... I see no other solution than this dignified end to my life, so I don't find myself fishing through rubbish bins for my sustenance."

Evangelos Venizelos, a former finance minister and now head of the socialist Pasok party that holds a majority in the coalition government, called on politicians to refrain from "political commentary" Venizelos said they should show solidarity and togetherness. Imagine he is calling on all Greek politicians even socialists to show solidarity not with the complaints of the senior about his plight but with financial capital that is imposing these austerity measures so that Greece can obtain bailout loans! Do not make political statements. Of course by his remarks Venizelos himself is making a very significant political statement.

By last night there were dozens of messages written under the tree where the senior killed himself. One message was "It was a murder, not a suicide", and another "Austerity kills".

The protesters today had similar messages chanting "This was not a suicide, it was a state-perpetrated murder" and "Blood flows and seeks revenge". According to Reuters suicides have increased 18 per cent in Greece since the austerity measures. Just in the city of Athens alone suicides increased more than 25 per cent last year.Unemployment is now running at 21 per cent. For more see this article.

Greece debt downgraded by Fitch by two notches

As if not facing enough trouble Fitch rating agency has downgraded Greek sovereign debt from CCC to C just one notch above default. At the same time unions are mounting new protests against austerity measures.

Greek unions have staged fresh protests as the country's parliament debates emergency legislation to carry out a euro zone bailout deal and Fitch ratings says the country is close to default. The new bailout deal is worth 310 billion.

The rating agency claimed that a Greek default was highly likely and in the near term in spite of the bailout package. Greece has already been in recession for five years and unemployment is running at 20 per cent. The cuts to the public sector will drive unemployment even higher.

Along with more austerity measures a draft law forecasts the 2012 deficit to be 6.7 per cent of GDP up from an earlier forecast of 6.4 per cent. Nearly 5,700 demonstrators marched in new protests in Athens. Another 2,000 demonstrated in Thessaloniki.

Elections are scheduled for April. Parties both on the left, right and in the middle who support the austerity measures will probably suffer at the polls. The present governmet is a coalition of right, center, and left (socialist) parties. So-callled reforms being debated include cuts to the health care system of 1.3 billion further reducing services as the need for them is increasing.

By the end of February Greece must approve more than 3.9 billion in added cuts to those already agreed to..Even the constitution is to be amended so that debt repayments take precedence over any other government commitments. Health, education, security, pensions, all are subservient to finance capital. Democracy is dead in Greece and the markets cheer. Although the cheering is dying down as many realize default is on the horizon in spite of all this drastic action. For more see this article.

More protests against Greek austerity measures

Austerity measures in Greece include a 22 per cent cut to the minimum wage. This is just one of many cuts demanded by Greek creditors and the Troika imposing austerity upon Greece.

Deep budget cuts are a pre-condition of a scheduled 171 billion bailout payment to keep the country from going bankrupt as early as March. Protests turned violent the other day as a number of buildings were torched. An article in the Guardian by John Holloway praises the citizen's resistance to the measures although deploring the senseless destruction.

European finance ministers are scheduled to approve the bailout package on Monday. According to Austrian Finance Minister Maria Fekter final details were still being worked out. Fekter said:"I don't think there is a majority to go a different way because a different way is enormously arduous and costs lots and lots of money,"

Greek unions both in the private and public sector reject the deal calling the Troika's austerity demands unacceptable. The measures set by the EU and IMF violate workes'rights and collective agreement they complain.

Few commentators note the undemocratic nature of the imposition of the austerity measures. The elected prime minister was replaced by an unelected technocrat but even his government is at the mercy of the Troika representing creditor interests. The power of finance capital over people has never been more stark but there rarely is much commentary on the issue. It is as if this were just part of nature that workers must adjust to.

Supposedly the latest austerity measures are meant to revive the Greek economy and make it more competitive. But the result has been prolonged depression and lack of growth which makes the debt more burdensome than ever.

Apparently the key issue still to be worked out is as to who exactly will hold the whip over the Greek government to make sure it complies with the new austerity measures. At present the Troika has that task: the European Commission, European Central Bank, and IMF. Perhaps the group wants to simplify the oversight. Some analysts believe the rescue passage will just stave off Greek bankruptcy for a period of time but that eventually banrkuptcy is most likely. For more see this article.

Violent Greek protests against new austerity measures

  The Greek parliament managed to pass the new austerity measures demanded by the Troika. In reaction protesters are out on the streets and some buildings have been set on fire. At least ten buildings have been torched so far.
    Demonstrators have been clashing with riot police throughout the day. The technocratic prime minister Lucas Papademos is urging calm. The austerity legislation is meant to clear the way for a $171.1 billion bailout payment.
   Up to 37 protesters were injured in the protests and many police officers as well. For more see this CBC article.   Another article points out that even if there is eventually a default all is not lost. Argentina defaulted some time ago and now its economy is growing by leaps and bounds.
 

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Greeks take to the streets and Troika agreement in Limbo

   Thousands of disgruntled Greeks are taking to the streets in a two day protest against new austerity measures demanded by Greek creditors as a condition for receiving bailout money. If the money does not come through Greek could be bankrupt by March.
   Yesterday reports were that party leaders had agreed to austerity measures demanded by the Troika. Today the deal is in limbo. Led by unions Greek workers are demanding that the deal not go through. The measures have reduced the minimum wage by 22 per cent and cut 20 per cent of government jobs. This is all to make Greece more competitive i.e. more attractive to investors.
    Creditors complain that Greece has not yet met all demands made. The government has been given until the middle of next week to meet all the demands. This assumes that the government can even survive until the middle of next week. Workers are trying to make sure that the country cannot function.
     Most public services are disrupted. There are no railway or other public transport services operating. Hospitals are on a skeleton staff.  As well as cuts to government jobs and the minimum wage pensions are also cut and there are reductions in spending on health and social security. Even military spending has been cut!
   Unemployment is a 21 per cent and the Greek economy is in its fifth year of recession. The cure, more cuts. For more see this article.
   

Greece: Police and protesters clash in Athens

The demonstrations in Athens are against the austerity measures imposed by the government but also celebrate the uprising that in 1973 helped overthrow the ruling military junta. Some firebombs were thrown at police as the protesters marched to the U.S. embassy. Although there have been reportedly no arrests or casualties as yet, the presence of a large number of protesters together with a huge police presence could lead to violence and arrests.
  The police used tear gas and stun grenades to stop the progress of the march temporarily. The U.S. had supported the former military government and saw it as a defense against communism.
  The new government of Prime Minister Papademos just recently won a confidence vote in parliament by an overwhelming 255 votes to 38. However Greeks are still taking to the streets to protest the austerity measures.
       Papademos is a former banker and unelected. Papademos must ratify the bailout terms agreed to by the EU in October. In return Greece will receive 177 billion to keep it from going bankrupt. Signs are that Papademos may be able to push the package through parliament. The main opposition will be outside the government and in the streets. For more see this article together with a video.

An anarchist take of the Greek protests.

This piece neglects to mention the facts that France and Germany are also urging Greece to buy expensive armaments from them and even are suggesting that this would help get Greece a bailout. Even without the foreign bank loans Greece does not collect enough tax to finance its social programs but as the article points out this is in large part a function of corruption and weak tax collection from Greek capital. The type of protests happening in Greece are likely to repeated in other places. Romania is already experiencing similar protests.

This is from anarkismo.

SOLIDARITY WITH THE GREEK WORKERS' STRUGGLE!


The Greek working class is angry, and with good reason, with the attempt to load responsibility for the bankruptcy of the Greek State onto their shoulders. We maintain instead that it is the international financial institutions and the European Union who are responsible. The financial institutions have plunged the world, and Greece in particular, into an economic and social crisis of historical proportions, forcing countries into debt, and now these same institutions are complaining that certain States risk not being able to repay their debts. We denounce this hypocrisy and say that even if Greece - and all the other countries - can repay the debt, they should not do so: it is up to those responsible for the crisis - the financial institutions, not the workers - to pay for the damage caused by this crisis. The Greek workers are right to refuse to pay back their country's debt. We refuse to pay for their crisis!

Instead, let us shift the capitalists into the firing line: Greek capital generates some of the biggest profit margins in Europe due to its investments in the poorer Balkan countries, the absence of social protections, collective guarantees and a minimum wage for Greek workers, not to mention the country's gigantic black economy in labour and an even greater exploitation of immigrant work. Greek capital is also very lightly taxed, due to the weakness of the State (with regard to the rich) and major corruption which permits fraud and tax evasion on a massive scale. So it is equally up to Greek capitalists to pay for this crisis.

We also denounce the attitude of the European Union. The EU was presented to us as a supposed guarantee of peace and solidarity between the peoples, but now it is showing its true face - that of acting as an unconditional prop for neoliberalism, in a complete denial of the notion of democracy. As soon as an economy becomes mired in difficulties, all pretence of solidarity evaporates. So we see Greece being scolded and accused of laxity, with insulting language bordering on racism. The "Europe which protects us" that liberals and social-democrats extolled at the time of the scandalous forced adoption of the Lisbon Treaty (particularly in France and Ireland) now seems a long way away.

As far as actual protection goes, the EU and the financial institutions have combined their efforts to frog-march Greece towards the forced dismantling of public services, through austerity plans that recall the "Stuctural Adjustment Plans" of the IMF: the non-replacement of staff, wage freezes, privatisations and VAT increases. Today the EU is demanding that the retirement age be moved back to 67, not only in Greece but also in other countries, and is also threatening to dismantle the social welfare system. In this way they are opening new markets for investors, while guaranteeing the assets of rich investors, to the detriment of the basic interests of the working class. It is a Europe of the ruling class, and one which we must all work together to oppose.

This is why we call for participation throughout Europe in solidarity initiatives with the Greek working class and with future victims of the onslaught of the banks.

Against the values of greed and rapacity that the European Union is based on, let us respond with class solidarity! Greece is a test case for the social dismantling that awaits us all. This policy is being enacted by all the institutional parties, from out-and-out bourgeois to liberals and social democrats, by every government and by all of globalised capitalism's institutions. There is only one way to hold back this policy of barbaric capitalism: popular direct action, to widen the strike movement and increase the number of demonstrations all across Europe.
Solidarity with the Greek workers' struggle!