Matthaios Tsimitakis is a journalist in Athens, Greece.
Greece’s left-wing Syriza party has been in crisis since it capitulated to the Troika in 2015. At national elections last month, it was trounced at the polls by the incumbent New Democracy party — meaning another four years of neoliberal policies.
Last week, two trains collided in central Greece, claiming 57 lives. Unions had long warned that cuts to the now-privatized rail network would cause a severe accident, but neither the government nor the country’s corporate media heeded the calls.
Under cover of the pandemic, Greece’s right-wing government has passed a slew of new measures to benefit the wealthy at the expense of workers, while massively expanding police powers. On the back of a decade of austerity, the latest laws are set to transform the country into a client state and playground for foreign tourists.