Pages

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Tsipras to Lenders: We Will Not Renege on Our Promises to Greek People

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said in Greek Parliament on Wednesday that the government will honor the popular mandate and fulfill all election campaign pledges, starting with the bill to tackle the humanitarian crisis that was tabled late on Tuesday. Tsipras said that negotiations on Greece’s bailout are hard but the government has the obligation to come to an agreement that will be for the benefit of the people. Greece will not back down during negotiations, despite the fact that its efforts are sabotaged by powers outside and inside Greece. On the achievements of the Greek government, the prime minister said that this was the first time European partners admitted that the austerity policies have created a humanitarian crisis. The lenders’ representatives who used to come to Athens and acted as colonialists have now been kicked out. Greece will not tolerate such behaviors any more because it has regained its lost dignity. Greece has started legislating and planning reforms that are decided by the Greek government based on the people’s mandate and measures and reforms are no longer dictated by creditors as the previous government had allowed. This government, Tsipras said, does not blackmail and it will not be blackmailed. It is determined to honor the February 20 agreement and wants the same from its European partners. It doesn’t ask for special treatment but for equal treatment. The Greek prime minister further said that there are powers that want Greece to be a guinea pig and they don’t want this government. Said powers undermine the negotiation efforts because they don’t like change. They are afraid of changes that are coming to Spain and Ireland as well. Finally, Tsipras said that the new government is committed to put an end to corruption and clientelism. It has submitted a detailed list of proposals that will tackle corruption, tax evasion and clientelism and will promote growth and defend people’s rights, something that the previous government never did.  


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com