Dear comrades,
We welcome with satisfaction and endorse your initiative. We state that we are availiable and we will participate in any event organized in the near future.The international solidarity and joint action of the European Left and the worker and popular resistance movements at this time of crisis is timely and imperative. For workers and youth in Greece and for political parties and organizations of the Left who are struggling against the unprecedented attack launched on labor and social rights by the Greek government, EU and IMF, solidarity initiatives such as yours illustrate an important moral and political support and we thank you for that. It is absolutely necessary to organise resistance across Europe, as the crisis of neoliberal capitalism in the way it is manifested today in the EU exacerbates the growing attacks on the working class, leading millions in poverty and misery.
SYRIZA responded to this situation with the positions adopted on March 15 stating that:
All of these hard, neoliberal measures are directed by and serve the European Stability Pact and the Lisbon Treaty.
The crisis should be payed by those who created it. The rich. The profits of large enterprises. Banks. Speculators.This can be achieved if we present in all its aspects, clearly but also as imdemands the following political points:
A. Increase tax rate to 45% in big capital, increase taxes on large real estate and stock transactions.Taxation of church property. VAT increase in luxury products / services and reduce VAT in the basic necessities.
B. Slash military spending by 50%.
C. Public and social control in the financial system with a perspective to nationalizing banks.
D. Recovery and nationalizing Businesses and Utilities of strategic importance, with public and social control.
E. Increase in health spending, education, unemployment and social infrastructure.Exclusion of Education and Health from the processes of commercialization and market development.
F. Increase in salaries and pensions.No increase in retirement age. Increase recruitment and freeze layoffs.Preserving the global and redistributing character of the social insurance system.
G. At the same time SYRIZA is urged to deepen discussion on the left - radical answer on the fundamental question of addressing the debt.The Secretariat - in principle - makes the call “to renegotiate the debt”, but recognizing the need to follow the discussion on building an integrated view.
SYRIZA will lead at European level, with parties and organizations of the European Left, with forces and organizations of the labor movement and social movements, to create a front against the Stability Pact and the Treaty of Lisbon.
Based on the above guidelines we are preparing a European meeting of all the forces of the European Left in the autumn in Athens.
For the Secretariat of SYRIZA
Ntavanelos A (Coordinator of the Secretariat),
Mastrogianopoulos T, Sapounas G (European Initiative of SYRIZA)
SYRIZA
(Synaspismos Rizospastikis Aristeras)
Coalition of Radical Left
39, Valtetsiou str
10681 Athens –Greece
Tel. +30210 3829910, fax. +30 210 3829911
e-mail : grafeia syriza.gr
web site : www.syriza.gr