Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras commented to several important issues like the broke down Eurogroup meeting on Monday and the several drafts submitted to Finance Minister Varoufakis, to German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble and to the first legislation his government is about to submit to Parliament with measures to relief indebted home-owners and restore the Troika-imposed “labor Middle Ages”.
Speaking to SYRIZA parliamentary group where he nominated the Presidential candidate, Alexis Tsipras said among others…
Some of the most important quotes:
“We did not overcome our problems in three weeks our problems. However the citizen no longer feels the scorn and the irritation. Some people cannot behave as if Greece was a colony.”
We don’t negotiate with deadlines, we will find a solution.
We will keep all our commitments towards the people. We will not step back from our government program, we say it and we mean it.
“Greek democracy does not get blackmailed and does not blackmail anyone, we talk like equal partners in the EU. For the first time some say No” and they mean it.
Germany, Schaeuble
Nothing divides us from the German people. We all saw the message of support and solidarity rallies. With reference to a cartoon fo SYRIZA-affiliated Avgi newspaper, showing Schaeuble in Nazi uniform, Tsipras said “It is a very unfortunate moment. No one is entitled, not even as a joke to play with the ghosts of the past.“
Referring to FinMin Schaeuble’s remarks, that he felt sorry for the Greeks and their irresponsible government, Tsipras commented
Mr. Schaeuble lost his temper and expressed disparaging towards Greeks.
I’ll say that it would be better to feel sorry for the people who walk with their heads bowed. He should have pity with them.
The red lines laid down by Greece are the red lines of all the people of Europe.
People look to us for relief from the disastrous austerity policies and a U-turn into what we call sustainable development.
Legislation
On Thursday we will file the first legislation draft of social salvation to protect citizens’ homes [draft to prohibit foreclosure for main residence], arrangements for paying debts to the state in more than 100 installments.
The second draft legislation will put an end to the labor middle ages created by the Troika.
Negotiations in Eurogroup
“What we want is a solution, not a rift. break. Before the Eurogroup meeting and after consultations, we took notice of a draft joint communiqué by Mr Moscovici that would be the basis of negotiations. Moving within our red lines we accepted it trying to contribute to a mutual solution. The draft content was making reference to extension of the loan agreement that would lead to a interim agreement as transitional stage for a new contract for development in Greece. 15 minutes before the Eurogroup start, Mr Dijsselbloem replaced it with a new one we had no idea about. This move was intended to impel us to a non agreement.
This is a proof that there are circles in the Eurozone who want to undermine the Greek government, playing with the future of Europe. The negotiation with partners is not technical but deeply political, with geopolitical implications. The solution will come from political leaders and not from technocrats. Yesterday we got close to 5 minute before 12. Today we are optimistic.”
PS I think this was more or less the whole of the speech.
