Requiem For a “Leftist” Servant of the Capital

By Nikos Mottas.

Following SYRIZA's double resounding electoral defeat in the parliamentary elections of 21 May and 25 June, Alexis Tsipras announced that he steps down from the party leadership after 15 years. 

This is almost certainly not the end of 49-year-old Tsipras' political career — his talent in demagogy will be proved useful for the bourgeois class in the future —  but provides us a chance to review and evaluate some major aspects of his so far contribution to Greek politics.  

War and the dirty role of social democracy

From left to right: Olaf Scholz, Alexis Tsipras, Pedro Sanchez.

The following article is based on a piece published in the weekend edition (5-6 March, 2022) of "Rizospastis", the daily newspaper of the CC of KKE, under the title "Social democracy's dirty job in times of war":

“If you had picked up the phone to call the party leaders, I might have told you my opinion, but not now after the fact, like the other political leaders. I would tell you that it would be better to send humanitarian aid, it would be better to send non-lethal equipment, like Spain and Italy did”. 

Five years since the 2015 Greek referendum — The stance of the KKE was totally vindicated

By Nikos Mottas.

The 5th of July marked the fifth anniversary since the bailout referendum in Greece. The 2015 Greek referendum, a milestone event in the four year governmental term of SYRIZA coalition government, is one of the biggest political frauds in post-1974 Greek history. 

In the referendum, the Greek people were asked to choose whether or not they agree with the bailout conditions proposed by the so-called “Troika”, the EU Commission, the IMF and the European Central Bank (1). The outcome was a triumph of the “No” vote with 61.31%, contrary to 38.69% of “Yes”. 

SYRIZA’s hypocrisy has no limits

On the right side, the front page of SYRIZA's newspaper "Avgi".

What happens when hypocrisy and opportunism meet anti-communism? 

SYRIZA, Greece’s major social democratic party which governed the country between 2015 and 2019, provides us the best answer to the question. 

Last Saturday, 9th of May, the front page of SYRIZA’s party newspaper “Avgi” (Dawn) was dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the Great Antifascist Victory, depicting the iconic photo of the Soviet soldier waving the red flag in Berlin. 

KKE slams ND-SYRIZA: "They are firm U.S allies and continue fooling the Greek people"

In a comment published on 902 portal, regarding the Greek-U.S agreement on military bases and the stance of the Greek political parties, the Press Bureau of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) points out:

"The acceleration of the ratification of the Strategic Agreement between Greece and USA by the government of ND and the recent Prime Minister's trip in the U.S. prove that this government too is focused on the implementation of the dangerous US-NATO plans in our region. 

Despicable: Tsipras signs EU Council's vulgar anti-communist declaration in Romania

By Nikos Mottas.

A shameful delcaration was signed yesterday, Thursday 9 May, by the EU leaders at Sibiu, Romania, during an unofficial summit. All together, "liberals" and "social democrats", "conservatives" and "progressives", confirmed the rottenness of the so-called "founding values" of the EU. The declaration of Sibiu, signed on 9 May (on the anniversary of the Great Anti-Fascist Victory), is another memorial of hideous anti-communism. 

KKE: Tsipras represents the oligarchy of wealth

On the occasion of Alexis Tsipras' speech on Monday afternoon, the Press Office of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) made the following comment:

"The dilemma of the elections is indeed between Greece and Europe or the many and those of the few. Mr Tsipras has long ago choosed his camp; he is with Greece and Europe of the few, of business groups and for that reason he belongs to the bloc of conservatism, alongside ND and PASOK-KINAL. 

Evo Morales, Alexis Tsipras and... "revolutionary realism"

By Nikos Mottas.

It was truly sad watching Bolivian President Evo Morales becoming part of Alexis Tsipras' propaganda just months before Greek elections. Because that is what Tsipras actually tried during Morales' visit in Athens two days ago. 

Having the President of Bolivia by his side and in front of Greek and foreign reporters, Tsipras engaged into an endless jabbering about the "common struggles of the progressive forces", talked about "democracy and social justice", the "21st century left", etc. 

Tsipras' deal with shipowners: Another mockery against the Greek people

Greece's shipowners consist a global power. They have one of the largest merchant navies globally and, due to very low labour-cost, they “build” and repair their ships in the shipyards of Asia and Northern Europe. Also, they enjoy numerous privileges by the law in Greece, including dozens cases of tax exemptions. 

At the same time, the Greek governments - both the current one of SYRIZA as well as the previous ones under New Democracy and PASOK- have imposed a situation of tax-robbery against the working class and the popular strata. The working men and women, the pensioners, are called to pay enormous amounts of taxation, despite the huge cuts in salaries and pensions. 

Four years of SYRIZA government: A really valuable lesson for Greece's working class

By Nikos Mottas. 

The 25^th of January marked the completion of four years since the electoral victory of SYRIZA (Coalition of the Radical Left) back in 2015. Today, four years later, we can draw valuable conclusions regarding the actual role of SYRIZA in Greece's political developments. Most importantly, the Greek working class can draw conclusions which can be proved helpful in the upcoming battles of class struggle.

KKE: "The people of Turkey and Greece have nothing to divide, must fight against NATO"

On  the occasion of the meeting between Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) issued a statement. The following is an unofficial translation of the statement: 

"Since the Tsipras-Erdogan meeting, like previous relevant meetings, consists part of the broader imperialist plans and competitions in the region, where the bourgeois classes of both countries participate, there can be no positive developments for the people.

GUE/NGL opportunists propose Tsipras and Zaev for... Nobel Peace Prize

In a previous post, we refered to the congratulations delivered to Prime Ministers of Greece and "North Macedonia", Alexis Tsipras and Zoran Zaev respectively, by the leadership of the "European United Left-Nordic Green Left" (GUE/NGL) party alliance in the European Parliament, over the ratification of the NATO-inspired Prespes Agreement. 

It must be noted that the GUE/NGL, alongside the Europarliament's Social Democrats and Greens, have also proposed Tsipras and Zaev as potential candidates for the... Nobel Peace Prize. On this occasion, we publish the statement of the delegation of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) in the EU Parliament which points out the following (from inter.kke.gr):

KKE leader Koutsoumbas destroys Tsipras during Parliamentary debate: "You should be ashamed, you are the stooges of the U.S"

During a fierce debate in the Greek Parliament regarding the Prespes Agreement (name deal) on Thursday late night, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) Dimitris Koutsoumbas responded to the hideous provocations by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.

In an effort to defend his pro-imperialist foreign policy and more specifically the unacceptable Prespes deal which bears the signature of NATO, Tsipras unleashed outrageous slanders against the KKE. He even resorted to provocative references to heroic Slav-Macedonian fighters of the Communist-backed 1946-1949 Democratic Army of Greece in order to present the name agreement as an... anti-imperialist achievement! 

KKE votes against Tsipras' government and the Prespes Agreement

In its bulletin on the political developments, the Press Bureau of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) states the following:

“The bargaining of the previous days between Tsipras (SYRIZA) – Kammenos (ANEL) ended in a search for a vote of confidence in the Parliament. This is a development that suits both sides, as it provides the possibility, on the one hand for Mr. Tsipras to save his government, with votes from ANEL parliament members,  and on the other hand, allows  Mr. Kammenos to maintain his Parliamentary Group, appearing to stand up against a policy that he has supported throughout all of the previous period.

KKE: Merkel's visit is a praise to Tsipras for the anti-people reforms he implemented

"The fact that Mrs. Merkel is the first one who rushes to provide a "confidence vote" to Mr. Tsipras consists by itself a criterion for the need of the people to vote against this government by all means", writes a statement of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) on the occasion of German Chancellor Angela Merkel's visit in Athens and her common declarations with Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.

KKE: Tsipras "whitewashes" the EU for the people's suffering and rise of fascism

Regarding the speech of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras at the Peace Forum in Paris, the Press Office of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) issued a statement: 

"Once again, Mr Tsipras tries to to "whitewash" the EU and its supposedly "moral" values, both for the suffering of the people as well as for the rise of nationalism and fascism. 

KKE: The policy of Tsipras places him in the same reactionary bloc of ND and PASOK

In a statement regarding the speech of Alexis Tsipras at the Central Committee of his party, SYRIZA, the Press Office of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) writes:

"The virtual reality that Mr Tsipras describes is collapsing in front of the people's daily routine, in poverty which persists, in the overdue payments which increase the threats of confiscations and auctions, in the labour jungle, in all these that were formed by the austerity memorandum laws of SYRIZA, New Democracy (ND) and PASOK alongside the permanent EU supervision. [This is a] proof that the development is not only unfair but, on the contrary, it is deeply class-based, anti-people and uncertain. 

KKE statement on FYROM Referendum: The people in both countries must fight against NATO, imperialism and nationalism

Regarding Sunday's referendum in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) for the approval of the agreement between the governments of Greece and FYROM, the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) issued a statement:

"The low turnout of the people of FYROM in the referendum was the basic element of yesterday's (Sunday) process, despite the fact that a large number of NATO, US and EU officials visited the neighboring country in order to press for the ratification of the Prespes Agreement and to accelerate the process of [the country's] integration in the above imperialist organisations.

KKE comments on Tsipras' speech in the EU Parliament: "He emerges as a pillar of the rotten and reactionary system"

Commenting on Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras' speech at the European Parliament, earlier today, the Press Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) points out:

"Mr. Tsipras went to the European Parliament to reassure that, despite any reservations by some people who though that he is a "leftist" and a "radical", he accomplished the antipeople work he undertook, even presenting this barbaric policy as a "victory of the Greek people" and as "EU's solidarity"! He also reaffirmed that Greece will honor the agreements and will not return to the past, which means that the people must forget everything they lost".

Massive demonstration by PAME during the opening of Thessaloniki's International Fair

Thousands of workers, farmers, unemployed and self-employed men and women participated in a large demonstration organized by the All-Workers Militant Front (PAME) in the center of Thessaloniki on Saturday evening. 

The protest was organized on the occasion of the opening, by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, of the 83rd International Trade Fair where the "honored country" is the United States of America.