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By some Greeks living in the Netherlands

The past two years the Greek population is witnessing the harshest austerity measures since the introduction of the Euro. Greece became the ‘black sheep’-member of the European Union and had to be punished hard. In 2010 the first austerity package was imposed by the Greek government under the commands of the Troika (the IMF, the EU and the ECB). As a result, last month unemployment reached 18% and 40% among the youths. Numerous small and medium companies went bankrupt and a series of massive lay-offs were initiated both in the public and the private sector. Wages and pensions of civil servants were reduced up to 500 Euros. One year after the first austerity package, the forecasts of the IMF and the Greek government concerning the public deficit were proved completely wrong. Instead of the growth that they promised us for 2011, the economy is expected to contract with another 5.5%.

Last June hundreds of thousands of people gathered at the Syntagma Square and other squares around the country to demonstrate their opposition to the new bail-out that was imposed by the Troika and the Papandreou – government. The agreement was monstrous. According to the standard neo-liberal recipe, Greece not only had to completely liberalize its economy, to privatize all state-owned enterprises – in extremely low prices – and to abolish the majority of welfare benefits but also to lose its sovereignty which consists a major constitutional violation. The Greek workers have to accept wage cuts up to 40% and the rapid privatization of health, social security and education. Clearly, although the initial plan failed miserably, the recipe remained the same.

At that time the resistance of the people reached its peak. The so-called socialist Papandreou government responded with a massive wave of police suppression. For two days, the centre of Athens became a warzone. Several people were severely injured and hundreds of demonstrators were arrested. Terrorism is the only word that comes to our mind when we watch the pictures of those days.

Even though the Greek government and its European counterparts have tried everything, the people still resist. In the coming two days, a general strike has been called. The new plan of the government is to lay off 30.000 people from the public sector, to apply even more wage cuts and most importantly to abolish the collective wage agreements. In times were the minimum wage is Greece is 592 Euros and more than 600 billion have been transferred by rich Greeks to Swiss banks, the president of the socialist international, G. Papandreou wants to completely destroy the only legal way for working people to support their right to employment.

Because we believe that after the events of the 28th and 29th of June in Syntagma Square the Papandreou government has lost any legitimacy to rule and legislate.

Because we believe that the European Union has been converted to an oligarchic institution driven by the interests of the banks, the multinationals and some lobbyists.

Because every day we see our families and friends to be driven to poverty and to be forced to immigrate.

Because we would like ourselves to be able to return to our home-country whenever we want and live decently.

Because people all over the world have started to rise up.

We, some Greeks living in the Netherlands, would like to strongly express our solidarity to the people in Greece who will participate to the general strike of the coming two days and send a message to everyone, saying that we will do whatever is possible to reverse the situation in Greece and in Europe.

CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE NOW…

Τα τελευταία δύο χρόνια, ο ελληνικός λαός έχει γίνει μάρτυρας των πιο σκληρών μέτρων λιτότητας από τότε που το ευρώ έγινε το κοινό ευρωπαϊκό μας νόμισμα. Η Ελλάδα ήταν το άπιστο παιδί της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης και το πλήρωσε ακριβά. Το 2010 η ελληνική κυβέρνηση εφάρμοσε τα πρώτα μέτρα λιτότητας κάτω από τις επιταγές του ΔΝΤ, της ΕΕ και της ΕΚΤ. Συνέπεια των μέτρων αυτών είναι η εκτόξευση της ανεργίας στο 18% και ανάμεσα στους νέους στο 40%. Πολλές μικρομεσαίες επιχειρήσεις ήρθαν αντιμέτωπες με την χρεοκοπία και σειρές απολύσεων εφαρμόστηκαν στον δημόσιο και ιδιωτικό τομέα. Οι μισθοί και οι συντάξεις του δημοσίου μειώθηκαν έως και 500 ευρώ. Ένα χρόνο αργότερα, οι προβλέψεις του ΔΝΤ και της ελληνικής κυβέρνησης σχετικά με το δημόσιο χρέος και έλλειμμα του προϋπολογισμού αποδείχθηκαν λανθασμένες. Σύμφωνα με τα επίσημα στοιχεία, το σχέδιο ήταν μια καθαρή αποτυχία.

Τον περασμένο Ιούνη, εκατοντάδες χιλιάδες άνθρωποι μαζεύτηκαν στην πλατεία Συντάγματος για να εκφράσουν την αντίθεση τους κατά του νέου δανείου που επιβλήθηκε ξανά από το ΔΝΤ, την ΕΕ και την ΕΚΤ με την συγκατάθεση πάντα της κυβέρνησης Παπανδρέου. Η συμφωνία ήταν τερατώδης. Σύμφωνα με την νεο- φιλελευθερη συνταγή, η Ελλάδα όχι μόνο πρέπει να ιδιωτικοποιήσει σειρά επιχειρήσεων του δημοσίου σε εξαιρετικά χαμηλές τιμές και να καταργήσει την πλειοψηφία των κοινωνικών παροχών πρόνοιας αλλά και να χάσει την εθνική της κυριαρχία της, πράγμα που καθιστά επικίνδυνη για την ίδια την δημοκρατία συνταγματική παρέκκλιση. Οι Έλληνες εργαζόμενοι αναγκάστηκαν να δεχτούν περικοπές μισθών ύψους έως και 40% και το σύστημα υγείας, κοινωνικής πρόνοιας και εκπαίδευσης θα πρέπει να ιδιωτικοποιηθεί το συντομότερο δυνατόν. Ενώ ξεκάθαρα το αρχικό σχέδιο διάσωσης απέτυχε παταγωδώς, η συνταγή παρέμεινε η ίδια.

Εκείνη την περίοδο η αντίσταση του Ελληνικού λαού έφτασε την κορύφωση της. Παρ’ όλα αυτά η λεγόμενη ‘’σοσιαλιστική’’ κυβέρνηση Παπανδρέου απάντησε με μαζική αστυνομική καταστολή. Το κέντρο της Αθήνας για δύο μέρες μετατράπηκε σε εμπόλεμη ζώνη. Δεκάδες κόσμου τραυματίστηκε και η αστυνομία έκανε εκατοντάδες “προληπτικές” προσαγωγές. Τρομοκρατία είναι η μόνη λέξη που έρχεται στο μυαλό κάποιου όταν βλέπει εικόνες από εκείνες τις μέρες.

Παρ’ όλο που η ελληνική κυβέρνηση και οι Ευρωπαίοι ομόλογοι προσπάθησαν τα πάντα, οι Έλληνες εργαζόμενοι αντιστέκονται ακόμη. Για τις επόμενες δύο μέρες έχει ανακοινωθεί γενική απεργία από συνδικάτα και σωματεία του δημοσίου και ιδιωτικού τομέα. Η γενική απεργία στρέφεται ενάντια στο νέο σχέδιο της κυβέρνησης είναι να απολύσει 30.000 εργαζόμενους του δημοσίου τομέα, να επιβάλει μεγαλύτερες περικοπές μισθών και να καταργήσει της συλλογικές συμβάσεις εργασίας. Σε εποχές όπου ο κατώτατος μισθός στην Ελλάδα είναι 592 ευρώ και παραπάνω από 600 δισεκατομμύρια ευρώ έχουν μεταφερθεί από την Ελληνική ελίτ σε τράπεζες της Ελβετίας, ο πρόεδρος της σοσιαλιστικής διεθνής, Γιώργος Παπανδρέου θέλει να διαλύσει τον μοναδικό νόμιμο τρόπο των εργαζομένων να υπερασπίζονται τα εργασιακά τους δικαιώματα.

Γιατί πιστεύουμε πως η σημερινή κυβέρνηση μετά και τα γεγονότα στις 28 και 29 Ιουνίου έχει χάσει κάθε νομιμότητα να κυβερνά και να νομοθετεί.

Γιατί πιστεύουμε πως η Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση έχει μετατραπεί σε ένα ολιγαρχικό καθεστώς με κυρίαρχο συμφέρον τους στόχους των τραπεζών, τις πολυεθνικές και μερικά λόμπυ.

Γιατί καθημερινά βλέπουμε τις οικογένειες μας και τους φίλους μας να αντιμετωπίζουν την φτώχεια και την καταναγκαστική μετανάστευση.

Γιατί και εμείς οι ίδιοι θα θέλαμε να γυρίσουμε πίσω στην πατρίδα μας και να ζήσουμε με αξιοπρέπεια.

Γιατί ολόκληρη η υφήλιος συγκλονίζεται από εξεγέρσεις καταπιεσμένων.

Εμείς, κάποιοι Έλληνες της Ολλανδίας θα θέλαμε να εκφράσουμε την βαθιά μας αλληλεγγύη σε όλο τον κόσμο που θα συμμετάσχει αύριο στην απεργία και να στείλουμε ένα μήνυμα σε όλους λέγοντας ότι θα κάνουμε ότι περνάει από το χέρι μας για να αναστρέψουμε την τωρινή κατάσταση που επικρατεί τόσο στην Ελλάδα όσο και την Ευρώπη

People of Greece rise up! from Phil Kimby on Vimeo.

“People of Greece rise up to protect their right to a decent living while the goverment answers with a violent crackdown in the streets of Athens.
The song is “crack of doom” from the live performance of the Tiger Lillies in Sydagma square, in support of the struggle of the people of Greece.”

Protest-gathering & open assembly on Sunday 10th July, 17:00, Dam Square, Amsterdam

[Link to the call-out for same day by the Amsterdam assembly]

Let’s think, discuss and eventually do something for our lives!

Since the outburst of the financial crisis back in 2008, there is an on-going attack on the rights of the people. This attack may at first sight seem to be different across countries, but at a closer inspection, it becomes obvious that this attack is actually the same. The argumentation used by european governments, EU officials and IMF is quite simple, there is a crisis and to deal with the crisis, budget cuts are needed. What all these officials do not say deliberately is the reasons that led to this crisis, and what these officials do not mention is that at the same time that they are imposing austerity measures, they are supporting the banks, providing them millions of euros.

The case of Greece is quite revealing of the situation. After a year of austerity measures and a rescue plan that led into further recession and increase of unemployement rates (in March 2011, the general unemployment rate was 16.2% and 40% for the youth), nothing has been solved and Greece is in even worse state, with more loans and in need of a new rescue plan. IMF and EU officials claim that the first rescue plan was right, but the implementation was wrong. However, a closer inspection shows that this is just a lie. The Greek government, EU and IMF knew that this kind of plan has no chance to succeed (one does not even need to be an economist to foresee failure: it is enough to see what happened in countries that followed similar plans, see for example, Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Equador). The reason for implementing such a plan lies in the protection of the interests of the banks and of the interests of rich Greeks. In other words, EU used the Greek crisis as an excuse in order to subsidize further the banks. And after the failure of the first rescue plan, IMF, EU and the Greek government agreed on a second rescue plan with even more budget cuts and more severe terms. According to this second rescue plan, the Greek government should use the new loan to finance previous loans, needs to impose new austerity measures, reduce the public sector, privatise education, health and transportation and sell state property. What it means to sell state property becomes clear when examining what happened with the Greek telecommunication company (OTE) and Deutsche Telecom, a couple of weeks ago, Deutsche Telecom bought 10% of OTE for €400, while in 2008, Deutsche Telecom bought 30% of OTE for 3.8 millions… The most worrying part of the story is that this second rescue plan is also condemned to failure, leading Greek economy to further recession and Greek people to poverty. Similar budget cuts are imposed upon Spain, Portugal, Italy and during the last months some cuts were announced for The Netherlands too (look for instance what is happening in the mental health sectors, the culture sector, education and the public transport sector).

We are not happy with this situation. We feel that the profits of the banks and the industries are valued more than the quality of life of the people. We want to let IMF, EU and european governments know that we do not value the profits of banks and industries. We want to let IMF, EU and the european governments know also that we do not recognise the debt of any country and that we demand that the debts of the countries are written off.We express our solidarity to the Greek people and to every person that fights against the austerity measures and dreams of a society of the people, where life will be organised on the basis of equality and on the basis of the needs of people, instead of the needs of market, nation or ruling class.

Throughout Europe we have seen people taking to the streets, occupying squares and starting to have people’s assemblies. With the authority of the political parties and unions fading, they have started to take things in their own hands. Also in the Netherlands we have seen some of these assemblies taking place, initially at the Dam square in Amsterdam, but later on also in Groningen, Delft, Rotterdam, Tilburg.
We call on everyone, who is in solidarity with the people in Europe rising up and who wants to think about how to move on in the Netherlands, to join us for a protest-gathering and open assembly at the Dam Square, Amsterdam, on Sunday 10th July at 17:00.

GIO

Welcome to the Junta of the Midterm Agreement!

The non existent government despite the united rejection of the Midterm Agreement by the Greek people is continuing its project of terrorizing the society. Putting into practice an organized plan of evacuation of Syntagma square, the police using unparalleled brutality has attacked peaceful citizens who have committed the “felony” of “the free expression of protest”, a right that even the president of the Parliament Mr Petsalnikos has acknowledged.

Mr Petsalnikos – together with his like minded Mr Venizelos, who with equal obscenity called for “a dialogue with the squares”, and the whole political personnel of this killer government. has proved in action what they perceive as “dialogue” and “rights”. Unending commando attacks of police forces until they were reassured that 500 protesters will be transferred to hospitals with respiratory problems, traumatic brain injuries and heart attacks, teargas assaults even to the fist aid station and the metro station platforms, and total bombarding with chemicals as far as Monastiraki.

This is the democracy of the Midterm Agreement. Well done! Let them take it with them together with the elite police squads and go where they belong. Nowhere!

The people are still on the streets. We continue the resistance decisively!

We defend Democracy which was reborn these days in Syntagma square and all the squares of the country and we banish on the street all military laws.

And since “Junta did not finish back at 73”, it is about time that we finish it now!

Peoples Assembly of Syntagma square

Livestream of Syntagma square

Second day of the 48h general strike and actions against the Memorandum, which has been voted in today by a slight majority in parliament. Streetbattles around Syntagma square have been ongoing, with teargas and stungrenades filling the Athens air. Occupiedlondon has a timeline with “Updates from the second day of the General Strike in Athens” and “Updates from the second night of the General Strike in Athens“

[ For updates during the first day, we point you to occupiedlondon.org "Updates from the first day of the General Strike in Athens, June 28" & to "Tuesday, June 28th: Constant updates" at http://en.contrainfo.espiv.net ]

Call-out video for 48h of action:

48 hours on the streets – the whole country will be at Syntagma Square!

We are now only a few hours from the 48-hour nationwide mobilization of 28 and 29 June. Everything indicates that the 48-hour General Strike could form part of a nationwide uprising that would ultimately bury the notorious Medium Term Austerity Programme. This struggle is not only critical for our future, but also a beacon of hope for all the peoples of the world who want to take their lives into their own hands. The demonstration at Syntagma Square marks the beginning of a new direction.

On June 28 at 9:00 am we are gathering at Syntagma Square to protest and wait for the strike protesters to join us. At 6:00 pm a big popular concert will begin, which will last until late at night.

On June 29 we will coordinate all our forces in order to completely surround the Parliament. The People’s Assemblies from the northern suburbs will meet at 8:00 am at the Evangelismos metro station. Amongst others, the People’s Assemblies of Agia Paraskevi, Halandri, Holargos, Papagos, Zografos, Glyka Nera, Pallini, Galatsi, Maroussi, Heraklion, N. Ionia, Patisia, N. Philadelphia, Gizi, Piraeus and Ambelokipi-Erythros Stavros-Polygono will be there. The People’s Assemblies from the southern and eastern suburbs will gather at 8:00 am at Panathinaiko Stadium. These include, amongst others, the People’s Assemblies of N. Smyrni, Byron, Agios Dimitrios, Voula-Vari, Neos Kosmos, Petralona-Thissio-Koukaki and Hellenicon. The People’s Assemblies from the western suburbs are gathering at Syntagma Square (Amalias Street & V. Sofias Street). These include, amongst others, the People’s Assemblies of Petroupoli, Egaleo, Peristeri, Haidari and Ag. Anargyri-Kamatero. The primary unions and People’s Assemblies from all over Greece, are also gathering at various spots.

Accommodation for the people coming from across the country has been organized.

For all the people who, for whatever reason, can not be on foot at blockades, it is very important that you help the encirclement of the Parliament by participating in a peaceful traffic demonstration starting at 8am: several hundred cars running continuously at speeds of 10-20 kph on Kifissias Street, Mesogion Street and Michalakopoulou Street returning from alternative routes whenever the police divert them will create a huge difficulty for the Members of the Parliament to access the House.

Once again, just as we have done ever since May 25, we insist that the character of our struggle be massive and decisive. We call upon everyone to respect and guard our decision.

We warn the government and the commissioners of the troika to not even consider the possibility that repression can break our resistance.

To Mr. Pangalos’ dilemma “Mid-term Programme or tanks”, we answer: “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Be proud of your grandfather!”

We are not leaving unless they and their dilemmas leave first!

The squares belong to us. We have the right on our side. We assert the obvious:
FREEDOM-JUSTICE-DIGNITY!

Faith in our powers. It is us or them!

Letter of Greek students in The Netherlands

They spoke about us (and about you) without us (and you)…

We are Greek students in Dutch universities and we take this initiative to write you this letter regarding the event that took place on Monday, 6th of June at the Faculty of Economics of UVA. We write this letter in order to provide our perspective on the situation in Greece and its interconnection to the Dutch public financial sector.
We would have liked our position to be heard during the recent event that took place at your faculty, but we did not have the opportunity even though we tried. The event was in Dutch, despite us asking politely for it to take place in English so that international people could understand and participate. We also kindly requested to speak, but we were not allowed to do so. Your colleagues, surprisingly enough, were also not allowed to speak; the reasons for this seem dubious.

While the world was watching the US economy and its financial institutions stumbling under the crisis, we knew little about what was coming towards Europe. What the European public did not know was the amount of US mortgages purchased by the European banks. These loans created the current conditions, centering the economies on these debts.

Regarding the situation in Greece through the years, on the one hand, the State (like the majority of developed states) borrows huge amounts of money to finance the Greek banks, the large companies (e.g. mega projects for the 2004-Olympics that produced a 5-billion deficit) and the Greek and international military industry (Greece is one of the most popular clients of these industry by spending 100s of millions in armaments) and also, to re-pay the previous loans. Since 2008 the subsidies and guarantees that the Greek state has given to the banks, amount to 140 billion. In addition the Greek State was spending (and still spends) huge amounts on weapons and maintenance of an overmanned army (Greece has 100.000 soldiers while Germany has 200.000). At the same time, the vast majority of the upper class was engaged in a large scale tax evasion that was encouraged by the State. A very characteristic calculation claims that if the Greek taxation was in the average of EU in the period of 2000-2008 the revenues of the Greek State would have increased by 95 billion euros. All this resulted into an unprecedented increase of the budget deficit.

As this crisis evolved, the global and domestic capitalists (the speculators) saw in Greece a great opportunity to make huge loads of money and the EU saw an opportunity of applying a ‘shock-therapy’ of ultra-neoliberal policies for the first time in the European Union. With the full agreement of the EU, the socialist Papandreou-government transformed the sovereign-debt problem into a borrowing crisis and in May 2010 this government presented the EU-IMF 110-billion loan as the only and ultimate solution. This loan was accompanied by full-range austerity measures to reduce the budget deficit and create a competitive neoliberal economy. One year later, the consequences for the Greek people are devastating. Unemployment rose from 7.7% in 2008 and from 9.5% in 2009 to 16.2% in early 2011. Salaries of civil servants and pensions are cut by an average of 15%. Collective wage agreements and employment protection are abolished. Now, the minimum wage is 590 euros and taking into account the inflation the mean wage decreased 9.3% in 2010 and it is predicted that it will fall more 6% in 2011. The first memorandum did not manage to stimulate Greek economy at all. This type of policies in Greece which were also implemented in the past in Chile, in Argentina and other countries, has the same results: the austerity policies destroy not only the lives of millions of people but also the economy as a whole. It also happened in Greece: after the agreement in May 2010 until today, 250.000 more unemployed occurred (40% increase) and around 62.000 small and medium enterprises closed.

In this context, the Dutch government and media present Greece as being in an entirely different situation as the northern countries. It stigmatizes Greek people, characterizing them as lazy, unproductive and prone to tax evasion. In this way, the Dutch system also justifies the less-harsh austerity measures that are applied in the Netherlands. The austerity measures of the right-wing government are beginning to have an impact on public transportation, which in some regions will be suspended by 40%. Moreover, the educational system, through the introduction of higher financial obligations for the students and lower public funding, will be less available to the average youngster. The measures prepared for the Health care system, the Social security system and other public sectors are going to have even greater consequences. A good example is the rising of the retirement age for the normal Dutchman from 65 to 67, while the people responsible for the crisis are again getting big bonuses.

Regarding the working issues, according to official data* from the OECD and Eurostat (2011), the Greeks work longer hours that the Northern Europeans (in Greece it is 2119 hours per year, while in Germany it is 1389). While long-working hours in Northern states would imply greater financial benefits, in Greece these hours are paying the debt and the financial aid to banks (in Greece, in the last two years, 78 billion euros were given to banks). Given this background, we are in front of a new trend in Southern Europe: the youth deprived of a future in their own countries.

From all the money that the EU (including the Netherlands) lends to the Greek State, not even a single cent went to the pockets of the Greek people. All these money that the Dutch government gave as a part of the loan to the Greek State ended up to the banks saving them from bankruptcy. In the agreement between Greek State and troika (EU-IMA-ECB) it is not allowed to spend the money on anything else but the refinancing of old debts. The numbers give evidence: in the last 10 years, the Greek state borrowed 490 billion. From this money, 450 billion were used to service old debts; 18-20 is the cumulative budget deficit of these 10 years. For the rest 20 billion, no evidence has been provided on where they have been spent.

Against this situation, which threatens and deteriorates the living standards and the rights of all the European people, there is only one solution: all the European people have to unite and struggle against these austerity measures and cuts that European governments decide and implement. We have to struggle for changing this system that makes the poor people poorer and the rich people richer, for showing them, that they cannot decide anymore for us, without us, and that this has to be subverted. We have to struggle for living with dignity by our work, without the constant terrorism of unemployment, for having public and free health and education, for not working until we die! We have to decide for us and not let others decide for us; a message, which comes from the occupied European squares, by the people who started to react and to decide collectively! We will not pay the crisis that they created!

Archontaki Ioanna, Universiteit van Amsterdam
Chala Foteini, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen
Daniilidis Alexandros, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen
Gkliati Mariana, Universiteit Utrecht
Goniadis Giannis, Universiteit van Amsterdam
Kaldeli Eirini, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen
Kanterakis Alexandros, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen
Kapitsinis Nikos, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen
Kontakis Apostolos, TU Delft
Liangoridi Elektra, Universiteit van Amsterdam
Logkaki Anna, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen
Maniatakou Foteini, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen
Mixalakea Taygeti, Universiteit Utrecht
Polidora Eirini, Universiteit van Amsterdam
Roumelioti Stavroula, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Roussos Konstantinos, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen
Sidirourgos Lefteris, Centrum Wiskunde en Informatica
Tselekis Kyriakoulis, Universiteit Utrecht
Tselios Kostas, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen
Tsoumani Olga, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen
Tzagkaki Kalliopi, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Vasilakis Giannis, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen

*http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/sites/20752342-2010-table8/index.html?contentType=/ns/KeyTable,/ns/StatisticalPublication&itemId=/content/table/20752342-table8&containerItemId=/content/tablecollection/20752342&accessItemIds=&mimeType=text/html

In the last period, we have witnessed an upsurge of false publications for Greek people. Besides providing numerous inaccurate information which cannot stand to any serious criticism, these publications have an extra role, they aim at pressing Greece to sell off immediately €50 billion state property and to enforce even harsher austerity measures.

THINGS ARE NOT AS THEY SAY…

Minister de Jager and some journalists argue fiercely that Greece is in need of a new loan because the austerity plan of 2010 was poorly implemented. Indeed, the state revenues decreased and the budget deficit remained high (10.6% in 2010). However, the reason for this is not the poor implementation of the austerity plan but the austerity policies themselves. The austerity policies imposed the reduction of pensions and wages (btw, we wonder whether de Jager could ever live on the Greek minimum wage, €592 a month…), the massive lay-offs and the large increase of the VAT, all these lead to a severe decrease in consumption and to a complete economic stagnation. Since May 2010, 65.000 businesses closed down, while construction works dropped by 73%. The unemployment climbed to 16.2%, while for young people it reached 40%. Within 2010, the GDP of the country dropped by 6.8% if measured at the trimester level and in 2000-fixed values.

As for collecting taxes, the reforms that were imposed alongside the austerity policies only increased the tax burden of people that were always paying taxes: the poor, the private sector employees, the civil servants and the small businessmen and professionals. The large companies and the rich professionals were bothered neither by the Greek government nor by the EU. The actual tax rate for companies is Greece is 15%, the lowest in Europe. 4.000 off-shore companies are active in Greece and they pay absolutely no taxes. According to Global Wealth Databook (Oktober, 2010), the result is that 60.000 Greeks own land and housing property with a value of approximately $736 billion and ‘mobile’ property of about $340 billion.

As there is long history of imposing such austerity policies to many countries, the Greek government, the IMF and the EU knew very well that the declared aims of these policies were meant to fail. The answer on why these policies were implemented is given by the ex-president of the Bundesbank, Karl Otto Pohl (Spiegel , 18/05/2010). According to him, the bail-out plan «was about protecting German banks, but especially the French banks, from debt write offs. » …. «Looking at that, you can see what this was really about – namely rescuing the banks and the rich Greeks». What minister de Jager, the ‘respectful’ journalists and Geert Wilders are hiding is the fact that not a single cent from the money that the Dutch state is giving as a loan to Greece has ended at the Greek people. The loan may only be used to finance old debts. In other words, the EU-governments are financing the banks using the Greek crisis as an excuse. The result of this bail-out will be to transfer the burden of an unsustainable debt on the rest of the European countries. As everybody has noticed, Ireland and Portugal followed Greece in the road of ‘bail-out’. Spain and Italy come next…

SECOND BAIL-OUT: SAME RECIPE, WORST RESULTS

Currently, the EU and the IMF came with a ‘new’ plan. As the first round of austerity policies failed, a second one is launched that will be even harsher. Salaries will be cut by 40%, the labour market will be completely liberalized, the last remaining welfare benefits will be abolished and taxes on the poor and the middle class will further increase. The result can only be worse than the previous ones: the economy will be completely destroyed. No matter how much the people will suffer, the new austerity plan will ensure that Greece will never be able to repay its debt. However, the banks will not be harmed as the largest part of the debt will have been transferred to the European governments.

The ‘novel’ part of the ‘new’ plan is that it includes selling off state property to finance part of the debt. This extravagant part of the plan serves only the interests of foreign and domestic companies that want to get state property almost for free. The first evidence of this is already clear: Deutsche Telecom bought 10% of the Greek Telecommunications Company (OTE) for €400 million, while in 2008 it had bought another 30% for €3.8 billion. But even if the full privatization plan materialized, it would mean that Greece would gather €50 billion. To bring this in perspective, the state debt is currently €340 billion and according to the plans of the EU, in 2015, it will amount €500 billion…

WE DO NOT WANT ANY MORE LOANS!

Every day, hundreds of thousands of people flood the squares in Greece to put an end to these austerity policies and topple the Papandreou-government. For these people, the solution does not lie in getting new loans or in imposing new austerity measures and privatizing health, education and public transport. The banks should pay for the crisis that they created and they want to sustain at the expense of the living standards of the people.
The Greek people need the solidarity of all European people. This solidarity means stopping the EU from granting a new loan to Greece. It means writing off sovereign debts and not ensuring their repayment. It means stopping austerity policies in Greece, in the Netherlands and in the whole Europe. It means retaining the public and social character of education, health care, public transport and the welfare state. It means rejecting the effort of de Jager and Wilders to divide nations and join forces for a common future. Using the declared aim of the indignados in Spain, in Greece and other countries, it means fighting for real democracy, where the will of the people and not the bank profit has the first place.

As for minister de Jager and the bankers, we should warn them that the agreements that they have made and will make with the Papandreou-government will not be respected by the people. We, the people have decided to take our future in our own hands and will not let it go!

WE DO NOT OWE! WE WILL NOT PAY! WE WILL NOT SELL!