Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras issued a statement on Thusrday noon saying the negotiation with the Troika has been completed. Samaras announced that Greece has completed the austerity measures of 13.5 billion euro and the budget for 2013, two preconditions for the debt-ridden country to receive the loan tranche of 31 billion euro.
In a kind of dramatic tone reminding the last words of a captain ordering passengers and sailors to abandon the sinking ship, Samaras said “We did everything possible. We exhausted all possibilities and time pressures.” -children and women, first!
Below, the PM statement:
” Today we completed the negotiation for the measures and the budget. We did everything we could. We exhausted all possibilities and time pressures. We achieved significant improvements, even at the last minute … Once this agreement is being approved and the budget is being voted, Greece will remain in the euro. And it will exit the crisis.
Apart from the agreement, I already try that Greece is given more than 31 billion euros in order to have a significant effect on the real economy. The problem from now on is not this or that measure … The problem is exactly the opposite: what could happen, if the agreement does not pass and the country is lead to chaos. And how much more painful such a development would be for all the Greek people. Economically and – even worse – politically. These risks should be avoided. And therefore it is now up to the responsibility of all parties and of each MP individually. “
For those who did not quite understand:
Samaras said that the austerity package and the budget have to be voted by the parliament and that if MPs won’t do that, Greece will exit the euro and we will experience the chaos. But that he tries as well to secure more money for the real economy through the ESM funding.
Samaras’ junion partner Democratic Left has repeatedly said that it will not vote for the labour rights ‘reforms’ chapter of the agreement.
However partner PASOK said that it will vote for the measures.
Samaras alone has 127 seats in the Parliament, together with PASOK 160 seats. The two bills need to pass with 151 votes. Even if some Samaras’ and Venizelos’ MPs refuse to do so, it should be considered as certain that the bills will pass.
…that the country will stay in the euro and the average Greek most possible will think “Whew… chaos avoided, austerity, unemployment and other sh** remain.”
Been there, seen that and thus several times since the country sought the international aid in May 2010.
PS hopefully we won’t hear again the word ‘effort’. Which we have been hearing 10 times/day on 24/7 since this government took office last June.
“ Today we completed the negotiation for the measures and the budget. We did everything we could. We exhausted all possibilities and time pressures. We achieved significant improvements” ….
Yeah, right…. “Everything we could….” apart from investigating a list of 2000 names with accounts in Switserland.
they had no time to do that because of the tough negotiations 🙂
Full text of 3rd memorandum:
http://blog.occupiedlondon.org/2012/10/29/full-text-of-the-third-memorandum-of-understanding-between-the-troika-and-the-greek-government/
Here is just one of the things they did (but don’t tell you about…)
Once the PPC is privatized, private corporation rules apply. Any private corporation is entitled to immediately cut its services to anybody who doesn’t/can’t pay the bill, and no laws or court order can overrule that. No settlement arrangements will apply!
This highlights one of the most insane situations everywhere, not just in Greece. Rightfully so, the world is full of charters on human rights, immigrant rights, childrens rights, etc. Whether these rules are adhered to is an other question. The important things is that they are RIGHTS, seen as something that every human being is entitled to because these rights represent basic needs so that anybody can live a fulfilling life as a human being. Some examples: right to education, right to freedom of religion, etc.
What are the 4 most basic needs every human being has in order to live, leave alone live a fulfilling life?
Housing, Food, Clothing, and Energy. Any charters anywhere on everybody’s inherent right to these 4 basic needs? On the contrary, these are the 4 most expensive items for any human being, anywhere in the world. And they are about to get a lot more expensive, soon.
That is what is wrong with the whole Neo Liberal economic and social model, and the “enhanced” model “envisaged” through the 3rd MoU. It copperfastens the right of the few to make lots of money on the needs of the many, and it copperfastens to denial of those basic needs to the many, unless they have the money to pay the few for it.
Unless we have a major rethink on the function of an economy within a society, and the function of money as a driver for that economy, we are indeed facing chaos, but not the kind Samaras is warning about. What he portays as chaos is nothing more than voicing his masters worries about possible loss of some of their wealth. What he is doing is creating the kind of chaos that will drive the people into hopelessness. Which is exactly what his policies are doing. Thereby creating the very fertile breeding ground for the likes of Golden Dawn.
Not in all countries. In my other country privatized utilities can’t, by law, “immediately cut its services to anybody who doesn’t pay the bill”.