Greek No Vote Is a Victory For Democracy

Greek voters have voted overwhelmingly to reject the European creditors latest bailout terms. This No vote was the one called for by the Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras’s government whose Syriza Party came to power in January vowing to reject any new austerity measures. This vote by the Greek people comes in spite of all attempts to bully Greece into accepting an austerity package that would have been harmful to the very fabric of Greek society. The austerity measures that have already been forced upon Greece have clearly not worked. Indeed, over the last five years the Greek economy has seen a 25% reduction in GDP. A decline in tax revenues and spiralling unemployment has deepened the country's recession. The terms of bailouts forced on Greece by the Troika of the International Monetary Fund, the European Commision and European Central Bank have been devastating for the people.

The Troika ignored the democratic wishes of the Greek people who voted for an anti-austerity government. The Troika had no intention of trying to forgo any of the debt owed or delay the payments due. If they had there would have been some possibility of Greece actually making repayments. Instead they have engaged in an intolerable attack on ordinary Greek people. Over the last few days we have had to witness the awful sight of European leaders queuing up to threaten and try and intimidate Greek electors ahead of the referendum on the terms of any future bailout. Using to a maximum the power of the media at their disposal to bully the Greek people into a Yes vote. The unelected European Central Bank, based in Frankfurt, already has a history of interfering in the democracy of other nations. By means of threats and bullying it had already brought a technocratic administration into power in Greece prior to the election of Syriza. One that was prepared to do its bidding and impose a massive programme of austerity. The result of which was the election of Syriza by a Greek people who had had enough. A government that many European leaders and institutions have been desperate to undermine ever since it came to power.

Now the Greek government has a clear democratic mandate after this referendum to continue with its promise to the Greek people to achieve an anti-austerity agreement. The win for the No vote in the referendum was a victory for democracy. People in those other Nations in Europe who have had to endure austerity at the behest of unelected Eurocrats and the ECB would be wise to look at the lessons coming from Greece. This is of course something that the undemocratic and highly centralised EU and Eurozone are afraid of. Democracy is something they do not like and that is why they were so horrified that the Greek people were allowed to vote in a referendum. The Greek people were right to vote No in the referendum.

 

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