SYRIZA is the political party that killed hope. It made young people hate politics. Statism and populism. This is what they stand for. How would we possibly cooperate with them?
Read below the interview of Stavros Theodorakis with ANA MPA.
You have been blaming Mr Tsipras, for so long, that he did not proceed with privatizations. Now, that the port and airports have been given, what do you say?
In politics, just like in medicine, time is priceless. If you don’t give a patient his medicine on time, he will die. The same goes for the Greek economy. The government has been lingering in every single sector. The only fast decision it has made was imposing new taxes.
The government says, even with a delay, it is implementing reforms that no one else has dared to implement.
There is no point in comparing with what has been done in the past. What matters is respond to society’s needs. The reforms implemented by SYRIZANEL are mostly new taxes, new contributions and, recently, some privatizations. They are now signing agreements that have been made by previous governments, without any changes or any improvement. They have done nothing for education, the public administration, justice. In fact, they have been doing all the wrong things.
Will you participate in the rally organized in Syntagma Square, this Wednesday, where participants will be asking the government to quit?
To Potami is not patronizing the society. These are the old habits of old political parties. It turns out that these are the habits of SYRIZA too. The slogan of the organizers is “no political parties – only citizens”. Therefore, we will leave some room to citizens to decide.
Yet, some of your MPs have said that they will be there.
Some MPs and friends will participate in this rally, but political parties will abstain.
Will you participate in the debate on the reform of the electoral law?
Can a political party possible not join this debate? We have presented a complete proposal on the reform of the electoral law. We are waiting for the rest of the political parties to do so as well and present their intentions clearly.
So, you may vote the electoral law that the government will elaborate?
I think that you are going too fast. We do not even know what the government is considering doing. Society is now suspicious. And it has every reason to be. They have been moving from one lie to another. Let them figure out what they want to do and, then, we can talk about it.
You insist on the view that you have already expressed, meaning that elections would not help the country right now?
When it comes to issues like this one, it is good to be specific. We are talking about the scenario of elections. But, when would that be? In July or in September? We say no to elections. Until the reviews have been completed and until the economy is financed, the country cannot live the elections scenario.
Isn’t it contradictory? On one hand, saying that “this is a bad government” and, on the other hand, not asking for elections?
It is not contradictory at all. This is the definition of democracy. This is the definition of Europe. It is the opposition that judges and people who make the decisions. All in good time, though. Everyone is laughing at us. Elections, MoUs, elections, MoUs. Yet, the crisis is still there. Poverty is still there. Should we probably think of alternative solutions?
Which is this alternative? The ecumenical?
I have never suggested that. These are mediocre solutions. The country needs major changes. It needs brave politicians. It needs a new deal, so that major changes are effective and backed by the majority of the society.
A new deal with New Democracy? Or a new deal with SYRIZA?
This is a spicy question, but it is irrelevant to our topic. The new deal is not a summit agreement. It is what saved other countries from the MoUs. They reached agreements, when we chose the civil war. It is obvious who lost. Cypriots know this as well. You can ask them.
I would like to insist. Is there any likelihood that you will cooperate with New Democracy or SYRIZA?
No. SYRIZA is the political party that killed hope. It made young people hate politics. Statism and populism. This is what they stand for. How would we possibly cooperate with them?
And, what about New Democracy?
New Democracy is a conservative political party. They are not innocent either. Greece went bankrupt, with the responsibility of New Democracy and PASOK. The fact that there have been some politicians who did the right thing, every now and then, in some sectors, this does not change the facts. This ideology of “political party – state” is a common one of old political parties that led to wasting the forces of the society. Some accumulated wealth, when the country was going bankrupt.
Polls show that your beliefs do not really have an impact on the society. To Potami runs the risk of staying out of the Parliament, in the next elections.
You are wrong. We do have an impact on the society. This is why they usually take our ideas and present them as theirs. But, this is good too. As long as the society is nurtured. But, as far as the voting intention is concerned, you are right. Things don’t look very good for us. But, politics is a marathon, it is not a speed race.
