Greece: Same story, different government

Greece is facing massive debt repayments on the 20^th of March, so the country is a step closer to bankruptcy after the breakdown of talks with its private – sector creditors last Friday (13/01). But even if an agreement is reached, it’s highly unlikely that Greece will be able to pay all its debts. The so-called troika of foreign lenders to Greece - the European Central Bank, European Union and International Monetary Fund - believe that Greece has neither the ability nor the will to carry out the broad economic reforms it has promised in exchange for aid.

Same story, different government

The new, non-elected government that was formed last November, after the resignation of G. Papandreou, is heavily underperforming until now. The major political parties had agreed to new elections in 100 days, in order to pass a new round of deeply austerity measures, including layoffs of government workers, in a climate of growing social unrest. Pasok, the "socialist" party that won the previous elections, is more concerned with finding the successor of G. Papandreou in the leadership than anything else. Antonis Samaras, the leader of the conservative opposition (New Democracy), did not see any reason for his party to participate in the new government. He finally had to collaborate, when other European leaders made it clear that New Democracy’s participation in this new government was crucial and non-negotiable. 

G. Papandreou, L. Papademos

Until now, members of Mr. Samaras’s New Democratic party that participate in the government are literally invisible, in a desperate effort to avoid any responsibility for the – further - upcoming austerity measures. In the third part of this coalition, the populist far-right party Laos, one can find all common characteristics of the extreme right: Nationalism, racism, covered rejection of democracy and the demand for a strong state. Fascist populism usually thrives in environments of poverty and gloom. Unsurprisingly, Laos’ main concern for the time being, is to show its sympathy and solidarity to the imprisoned - for fraud - abbot Ephraim, hoping to gain some votes from the conservative orthodox Christian community. 

Head of this surreal mosaic is Prime Minister Lucas Papademos, the former vice-president of the European Central Bank. Just two months ago, this was thought to be – by politicians, economists, business and industry leaders, the people weren’t asked -  the ideal government to navigate the country away from the shores of economic disaster. These days, it sounds like a bad joke.

Current social climate
As Greece has entered a fifth consecutive year of recession, as the crisis extends its reach, as cuts take their toll, as poverty deepens and unemployment climbs, evidence is mounting that society is tearing at the seams. People have the feeling that they live in a State of Emergency: We were declared unfit to decide our own future. In our case, the State of Emergency, which effectively suspends the Constitution and surely the most basic principle, governance by the people, is - by an inch - constitutionally legitimate. We have to accept that the situation is urgent, but our needs only temporary. A non-elected government will implement all agreements, and then a general election will be held to choose representatives for our weak democracy.

Photo taken by Nikos Koutsopoulos/ Syntagma Square, Athens, 15-01-2012

The homeless population in Athens and other major cities is growing at an alarming rate as an increasing number of Greeks, including young graduates and former traders whose businesses have gone bankrupt, find themselves without work or unable to pay their bills. The economic crisis breaks more and more families in Greece and state officials report of shocking cases, where parents try to give their children to the protection of social institutions because they can’t feed them. The suicide rate in Greece has reached an all-time high, with the rise thought to be due to the economic crisis. Police use of force and brutality has become a common practice.  The "emergency" measures are counted here and now with poverty, misery and isolation of much of the population.

Transformation of the "indignants" movement

It is considered by many that protesters who shook up the political system last summer have gone on with their lives, numb and defeated. This is not exactly true. The protests have transformed into a new social climate. The 400 workers of the “Greek Steelworks” (Hellenic Halyvourgia) industry are on strike, for almost 3 months. On their General Assembly they unanimously rejected the employers demand to work part-time, 5 hours a day, with a 40% wage cut. They also demand, their 34 colleagues, who were laid off, to return to work. This is one out of many work places, where the employees have decided to escalate their struggle. New social centers, activist collectives, alternative media, credit unions and co-operatives constitute a new environment, in which values and social practices come to life. A Social Solidarity Network, consisting of an Open Clinic for Social Solidarity, an Open Kitchen for the poor and homeless, and an Initiative Group of people that collect warm clothes for the homeless and immigrants, operate every Sunday in Syntagma Square Athens, showcasing what solidarity and social responsibility is.

Political change tends to occur once social changes have already taken place. So, if what we desire is to change existing social relations and inequalities, it makes little sense to prioritize a change of political power with the hope that social change will be installed from above. As Greek philosopher Cornelius Castoriadis stated in his book The Rising Tide of Insignificancy (1996): 

“Is this alienating factor really necessary for the human collectivity? I say there is no theoretical answer to the question. I mean, the proof of the pudding is in the eating, and this is what radical or revolutionary action is all about.”

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Evi Papa ist griechische Juristin, war über die vergangenen Monate aktiv in der Protestbewegung in Athen engagiert und macht seit kurzem ein Master's Degree in International Human Rights an der Lund University. Im August hat sie bereits mehrmals für Human Rights Austria geschrieben.

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