The Battle in Syriza
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and Syriza member Stathis Kouvelakis debate the future of Greece.
Below, we publish a column by Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, written for Le Monde, which includes the first list of concessions accepted by the Greek government in its negotiations with the troika (the European Commission, European Central Bank, and International Monetary Fund). Tsipras’s article is followed by a reply from Stathis Kouvelakis, a central figure in Syriza’s Left Platform. Both were translated by David Broder and first appeared on the Verso Books blog.
Alexis Tsipras: “No to a Two-Speed Eurozone”
On January 25 the Greek people took a courageous decision. They dared to challenge the memorandum’s one-way street of rigorous austerity, and demanded a new agreement. That is, a new agreement allowing Greece to get back on course to growth — within the eurozone, and with a viable economic program — while avoiding the errors of the past.
The Greek people have paid a heavy price for these past mistakes. In five years, unemployment climbed to 28% (and to 60% among young people), while the mean income fell by 40%, as Greece became the European Union state with the highest index of social inequality, according to the Eurostat figures.
This article is for subscribers only. Please login or subscribe to access our full archives and beautiful print and digital magazine starting at just $3 a month.