Tag Archives: Greece

Stupid comment of the day

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This from Finance Minister Michael Noonan must surely take the biscuit for ignorance:-

Asked about the effect of the departure of Greece from the euro, he (Minister Noonan) said Greece was very far from Ireland and there were few economic links. For Irish people doing their weekly shopping, “apart from feta, what other Greek items do you put in the shopping basket?” Mr Noonan said.

This coming from a Minister who would like us to believe that an Irish NO vote would bring the roof down is a bit rich.

Gilmore comments on Greece “despicable” says Tynan

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Athens Acropolis

Message at the Acropolis in Athens

Cork Workers’ Party Councillor Ted Tynan has described comments made by the Tánaiste yesterday (Saturday) about the outcome of the Greek elections as “completely despicable”
The Tánaiste had been quoted as saying that the current situation in Greece painted a clear picture of what could happen in Ireland if the country rejected the EU Fiscal Treaty.
Cllr. Tynan said the Tánaiste had stooped to a new low in the government’s attempts to frighten people into accepting the Treaty. He said that the current events in Greece had been created by the same institutions that had drawn up the Fiscal Treaty and that these forces were now trying to turn the Greek election result on its head.
“What is happening in Greece”, said Cllr. Tynan, “is an attempt to overthrow the democratic vote of the people. They overwhelmingly rejected austerity yet the Greek national establishment, the EU and the capital markets are conspiring to install a pro-austerity government or force new elections in which a gun will be put to the Greek people’s heads. Mr. Gilmore is now pointing the same gun at Irish voters to force them to support the Austerity Treaty”.
“What occurred in Greece on May 6th was a wonderful outpouring of democracy and a forthright rejection of austerity but it seems clear that this is going to be set aside by a legalised coup d’état. Mr. Gilmore clearly supports this crushing of the flowering Greek democracy and is using threats of similar anti-democratic measures here in order to push through a Treaty that will smother national democracy in this country”.
“The Tánaiste’s comments and the EU’s attitude to the Greek elections show that the governing elites of Europe regard democracy as dispensable in certain circumstances – that the opinions of the people as expressed in the ballot box can be set aside if they do not suit the agenda of global capitalism and the national plutocracy. This is why it is even more important that people come out in large numbers and express their opposition to the agenda of austerity and vote NO to the EU Fiscal Treaty on May 31st”, said Cllr. Tynan.

Europe’s government’s must listen to their people and end austerity

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Commenting on the outcome of yesterdays elections in France and Greece, Workers’ Party, Cllr Davy Walsh said,”The leaders of the EU and European Commission must abandon their disastrous policy of austerity, cuts and unemployment. The people of France and Greece have, through the ballot box, sent a clear message that enough is enough and that the working people are no longer prepared to bear the brunt of bailing out and rescuing the capitalist system at the expense of huge human misery and hardship across Europe. There is an alternative”.

Good riddance Monsieur Sarkozy!

“It is not just the leaders of the European institutions that must listen. The Fine Gael / Labour coalition must also heed the will of the people also and immediately abandon the proposed Fiscal/Austerity Treaty on May 31st. The economic strategy of the EU/ECB/IMF troika has been rejected all across Europe. By proceeding with its attempt to ratify this Treaty in Ireland Enda Kenny and Eamon Gilmore are asking the Irish people to approve policies which have now lost all credibility and democratic legitimacy.

WP exchange solidarity with Greek communists on eve of elections

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The Workers’ Party today exchanged messages of fraternal good wishes with the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) on the eve of the Greek parliamentary elections which take place tomorrow, Sunday 6th May.

A massive rally held by the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) in Athens, 3rd May 2012

Workers’ Party General Secretary John Lowry said, “The Workers’ Party of Ireland sends fraternal best wishes to the KKE for the elections in Greece on 6th May. These elections are an important opportunity for the working class and popular strata of Greece to decisively reject the attacks upon them by the Troika and the Greek ruling class. These anti-democratic and anti-people forces seek to rob the people of Greece, of Ireland and of every state in Europe to pay for the problems inherent in capitalism under the name of austerity and the mantra of There Is No Alternative.

In turn the Workers’ Party received a warm message of solidarity and greetings from Kostas Papadakis from the International Section of the KKE who said: “On behalf of the KKE I would like to thank you for your warm message of support and solidarity. We wish you as well all the best for the NO Vote in the referendum in Ireland on May 31st.  The defeat of the EU Fiscal Stability Treaty will mean a lot to our common struggle against austerity and the hegemony of the European Union and international capitalist establishment”

The KKE is currently the third largest party in Greece with 21 seats in the Greek parliament and is widely expected to increase its share of the vote in tomorrow’s election.   It has steadfastly opposed austerity and led the campaign against it in parliament, in workplaces and on the streets through its association with PAME, the Greek All-Workers’ Militant front which has brought millions of working people on to the streets