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tagged: Athens, George Papandreou, Greece, june 21 2011, Parliament blockade, protests, Spartans, vote of confidence, walking protestVote of Confidence & Protests: It’s a Cruel and Hot Greek Summer
Posted by keeptalkinggreece in Politics, Society
Thirty-three degrees Celsius outside, the streets are burning and the souls are on fire. It’s a cruel and hot Greek Summer Day with governing party PASOK-members preparing psychologically to give a vote of confidence to the newly appointed cabinet and thousands of ”Indignant” Greeks getting ready physically to create a human chain around the Parliament – obviously during the vote. Probably to hinder lawmakers to exit the Parliament building.
As the vote of confidence will take part at midnight and we might see scenes similar to those at the beginning of the month, when lawmakers left the Parliament through the darkened paths of the National Gardens (sorry, I can’t find the link to our report, right now). I guess the Greek MPs are too excited about the upcoming night and therefore the ‘vote of confidernce’ debate started this morning before totally empty plenary hall. The lonely speaker, a member of the Parliament, was speaking loud to … himself… I saw the picture this morning in ANT1 TV but couldn’t find it anywhere and post it here, so you can also enjoy the yawning emptiness.
The “Indignant” Greeks have renewed their appointment in front of the Parliament at 7 p.m. They will also set a ballot box and have protesters cast a vote of non-confidence. “They vote in the Parliament, we vote at the Squares” , they declared in a statement. “Those who created the problem cannot solve it, no matter how many government reshuffles they will do. Well stay here until everybody is gone: The government – The Troica – The Debt”.
At the same time, the group of “Indignant” protesters from Sparta keeps walking to Athens. They are expected to reach Syntagma Square on Wednesday afternoon, at 6 p.m.
Video BBC
Keep Walking, folks!
Short historical notice: Efialtis (Eng. Nightmare) was a traitor from Sparta who led a part of the Persian forces by a mountian path behind the lines of the Greeks during the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC. The majority of the Greek forces had withdrawn from the area and the front was defended by the Spartan hero- king Leonidas, his army of the legendary 300 Spartans and 700 Thespians who had refused to leave even though they knew they would be defeated.
So when modern Spartans speak of “Nightmare” they know what they are talking about.
PS. I might do some Live blogging later but it depends on the developments and the incoming material. Keep tuned with “Keep Talking, Greece”!
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[...] KeepTalkingGreece: Thirty-three degrees Celsiusoutside, the streets are burning and the souls are on fire. It’s a cruel and hot Greek Summer Day with governing party PASOK-members preparing psychologically to give a vote of confidence to the newly appointed cabinet and thousands of ”Indignant” Greeks getting ready physically to create a human chain around the Parliament – obviously during the vote. Probably to hinder lawmakers to exit the Parliament building. [...]
I am proud of the people of Sparta. I wish them all the best.
Regarding the protesters in Syntagma, I think they would be more effective if they demanded an exit from the euro. I imagine that some ask for this, but for some reason it is not widely known. If Papandreou gets the confidence vote, then people in the streets may be dismissed by the foreign media as having unrealistic demands. People in other countries may ask– “What do you mean you won’t pay? Your government, that you elected, is about to borrow billions,” etc. I wish that it were clear to the world that the protesters are willing to at least risk default and an exit from the euro, that their demands are realistic, and that their government is not functioning as a democracy.
there many questioning the legitimation of the current government as it was elected with a different pre-election campaing promising wealth. 20 months in power and PASOK voters experience strictest austerity. On the other hand, PASOK got just 43,92% of the votes. i.e. 56,8% – the majority – of the non-PASOK voters have every right to protest govenrment’s decisions and handling. Furthermore the common demand (if we can speak of one) of the protesters is less austerity, more democracy, punish those who created the economic crisis, organize a debt-control committee, transparency, ‘write-off the odious debt’.