Alexis Tsipras, leader of main opposition party SYRIZA paid a visit to Barcelona, invited by the Spanish United Left to attend their pre-election campaign. Tsipras took the change to express support to the independence-seeking Catalans and spoke to them in Spanish.
Video:
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” Greece’s problems are our problems, I want to give many thanks to Alexis giving hope to Europe. Alexis, you got the word, “said Joan Herrera candidate of the left party in Catalan elections.
Tsipras in Spanish:
“Thank you very much. Those who say that there is no alternative solution are wrong. There is. All the people of Europe are the alternative [solution]. The waking is the alternative, “said Alexis Tsipras in front of an audience, enthusiastic to hear him speak Spanish.
The leader of the Greek opposition launched a offensive against the Troika of the memorandums and loan agreements and against German Chancellor Angela Merkel, amid cheers of the audience who chanted «Alexis … Alexis».
However as the Greek media reported about Tsipras in Barcelona with titles claiming that Alexis Tsipras “supports the independence of Catalonia” SYRIZA issued an angry statement describing these claims as “brazenly lies of the intermingling journalism in Greece, that SYRIZA supported the secession forces of Catalonia because Alexis Tsipras appeared at the meeting of “Iniciativa per Catalunya Verds-Esquerra Unida i Alternativa – ICV- EUiA” (Initiative for Catalonia Greens-United Left).
PS Holla! This post is dedicated to our Spanish co-sufferers in austerity, whether Catalans or not 🙂
Actually, he doesn’t say “the waking is the alternative”, but the “Esquerra es la alternativa”. Esquerra is the name of the Catalan party.
Is there any link to that SYRIZA statement or what the Greek media have said about his visit to Barcelona? As a Catalan and an amid follower of the Greek situation, I’m really curious about it! The Catalan party does not actually support the independence, but just the right of self-determination, which at the end is more or less the same.
Αν θέλετε, εδώ έχετε την ολόκληρη ομιλία του Αλέξη στη Βαρκελώνη: http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/27203527
Γεια σας!!
here by gloogling in Greek Tsipras Barcelona
https://www.google.com/search?sourceid=ie7&q=%CE%A4%CF%83%CE%B9%CF%80%CF%81%CE%B1%CF%82+%CE%92%CE%B1%CF%81%CE%BA%CE%B5%CE%BB%CF%89%CE%BD%CE%B7&rls=com.microsoft:el:IE-Address&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&rlz=1I7ACAW_en___GR351#q=%CE%A4%CF%83%CE%B9%CF%80%CF%81%CE%B1%CF%82+%CE%92%CE%B1%CF%81%CE%BA%CE%B5%CE%BB%CF%89%CE%BD%CE%B7&hl=en&tbo=d&rls=com.microsoft:el:IE-Address&rlz=1I7ACAW_en___GR351&source=lnms&tbm=nws&sa=X&ei=8eyvULyHEYKd0AWCqoDoDQ&ved=0CAsQ_AUoAA&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&fp=2af5b8fb6ab82b43&bpcl=38897761&biw=1093&bih=440
here SYR statement
http://www.star.gr/Pages/Politiki_Oikonomia.aspx?art=156228&artTitle=athliotites_kata_ton_syriza_ta_peri_ypostirixis_aposchistikon_kinimaton
Now he rallies even the Catalans (and in Spanish)! The man is talented, indeed!
a lot more than what can be said for the muppets currently running the show. Whether he will get a chance to put his policies into practice and prove he can do what he says he can do is of course a different question. He is after all “the 2nd most dangerous politician in Europe”. That is solely based on his justified unwillingness to play ball with the EU madness. His policies will indeed not work for Europe as they are the complete opposite of the European Neo-Liberal agenda. But of course, Europe has lost not only all credibility but also any right it might think it has to implement further disaster politicis on anybody, Greece or any other country. So, why not find out if the SYRIZA policies work? It can’t get any worse that what the EU is doing to the periphery…
syriza has first of all to come to an agreement with its own components and draw one common policy.
a bit like the EU/Troika/ECB are doing right now you mean? Shifting goalposts every time to force the PIIGS to plug yet another hole they found somewhere by forcing even more austerity on them?
If the EU/TROIKA/ECB can make up the rules as they go along, as it suits thme with total disregard for anybody else, then why should SYRIZA not be at least allowed to play on a level pitch?
But you are right, it would indeed be a great help if they did inded talk to people, find out what is needed and wanted, and then put a coherent, comprehensible and workable plan together. That would be a major imporvement to the band-aid policies of Samaras & Co.
no, it’s not like that. Syriza consists of several smaller groups from moderate left to extreme left incl former Communist KKE members and it is very difficult to draw a common economic policy due to different ideologies and concepts. Extreme positions like ‘grab bank deposits above 10,000 euro and use them for development’ certainly scare to death low and middle classes. first of all syriza needs the support of the people here if it is to form a government. a 2/3-party gov’t with syriza in lead and so many different approcahes will soon have the same fate as Samaras’ gov’t. Greeks have enough from unstability, 1000 different approaches and no way out.
Yes, I’m fully aware of that. The danger however is that Greece ends up with an economic policy born from doctrine rather than need, which is why all those making up SYRIZA (30 or so I think?) whould not sit down together until they talk to the “grassroots”, the people. People have an uncanny ability to tell you exactly what is wrong and what they need to fix it. All it takes is the willingness to listen. Politicians unwillingness to listen in fact precisely what got Europe right where it is.
At this stage of the game SYRIZA should not pay the slightest attention to any demands by Europe, but full attention to the needs and wishes of the Greek people.
You are dead right in saying that SYRIZA needs the support of the people, ALL the people. Well, at least those that have an interest in getting their country back working again, in every sense of the word.
That attentions is not given by drawing up plans in some office somewhere. That is the last stage of the process. I’ve said this many a time, the downfall of all left wing parties anywhere seems to be that they somehow think they can talk for “the man in the street” without talking to “the man in the street”. If SYRIZA wants to take the country out of the mess its in, SYRIZA will need to take the “man in the street” serious. At the moment, Joe Soap has nothing left to lose. And there is not a more dangerous person to confront that somebody who has nothing left to lose. However, give that person something to gain, and you have the most loyal supporter you can imagine. SYRIZA has the support of a lot of people, it needs the support of those who have nothing left to lose. But needs to go and get it. They can’t do that from an office somewhere, discussing ideology.
I think I have sent you before what I have written about Tsipras. Yes, there are a lot of things which established politicians could/should copy from his talents. My bottom-line is: if Tsipras had a twin-brother who had as much economic common sense as Tsipras has talent as a politician, and if they would team up, then Greece would be headed towards a good future. Absent that twin brother, Tsipras will have to acquire, very quickly, some solid economic common sense.
keep in mind, that it’s the whole party that draws the economic policies, not Tsipras alone.
You just described very clearly how SYRIZA can not draw up a coherent economic policy because of their different factions?!
In a way SYRIZA is like Greek society as a whole, alas.
What is itching all over? Certainly the lousy Spanish of Mr. Cheap Rush, as bad as his English! No comparison to the fluently English speaking Andreas, the previously “embedded” leader, who came back – from the States – in 1961 (16th January) to reform poor Greeks.
Ok, αλλά να πει άν ΣΥΡΙΖΑ υποστηρίζει το δικαίωμα των Καταλανών να αποχωρήσουν από Ισπανία: ναι η όχι;