Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras looks like he has badly mis-calculated by calling a referendum on the offer from Greece's fellow Eurogroup governments. Despite the fact that the negotiations were on-going on Friday night, Athens told the Greek negotiators by phone to pack up and go home. Tsipras attempted to get the referendum through parliament without revealing the deal that was being voted on. It took the the Institutions to release the working paper, at the same time emphasizing that more was on offer.
Discussions on this text were ongoing with the Greek authorities on Friday night in view of the Eurogroup of 27 June 2015. The understanding of all parties involved was that this Eurogroup meeting should achieve a comprehensive deal for Greece, one that would have included not just the measures to be jointly agreed, but would also have addressed future financing needs and the sustainability of the Greek debt. It also included support for a Commission-led package for a new start for jobs and growth in Greece, boosting recovery of and investment in the real economy, which was discussed and endorsed by the College of Commissioners on Wednesday 24 June 2015. -
Since coming to office the SYRIZA led government has actually
raised wages and created jobs - for some.
Just like the previous conservative government, the SYRIZA administration seems like its striving to continue the legacy of a big, inflated, all-powerful state where taxes is the main state revenue and nepotism and clientelism rule. One of the first “achievements” of the new government was to give raises to the Public Power Company employees, a state entity famous for its strong unions established by PASOK. The raises were their reward. Now electricity bills will go up, but we are used to that.
Not to worry, with their new jobs a lot of people will be able to afford those price rises.
Also, the good old Greek nepotism is back. Family members of the prime minister, of cabinet members and other key SYRIZA politicians are “taken care of.” From the brother of Alexis Tsipras to the mother of House Speaker Zoe Konstantopoulou, many relatives have now high government positions with equally high salaries. Maybe this is the strategy of SYRIZA to fight unemployment.
Ministers hire girlfriends and relatives, special committees are formed in order to include SYRIZA members, young people with or without degrees get positions as consultants in ministries, special positions are created in state organizations to accommodate “our people.” When the question came to the House from New Democracy and PASOK MPs, the answer was typical of Greek politics: “When you were in power, you were doing the same.” Corruption remains the same, it just has a new face now.
With only 35% of the vote at the last General Election, it is of course only natural for SYRIZA to nurture its base. The first opinion polls after the referendum was announced look like that is just about all they have done with
most of the other 65% disagreeing with Tsipras.
In a poll conducted by Alco for the Greek newspaper ‘Proto Thema’, 57% of the participants said they would vote yes in the upcoming referendum, favoring a deal.
Another poll conducted by Kapa Research for ‘To Vima’ found that 47% of the population will vote yes approving the agreement, while 33% will vote ‘NO.’
The way Tsipras has framed the referendum, it is likely that many will see it as a vote of confidence in the current government. If these polls are reflected in the final vote, it looks likely there will be somebody other than him at the next meeting of the Council of Ministers.