The Greek people have tonight delivered a resounding, brave,
collective No to austerity and the lack of democracy and accountability that
surrounds both European and world capitalist institutions. A momentus night in
the history of Europe and one that inspires the left across Europe and the
world. It does however mark only the beginning of the last chapter in the
long struggle between Syriza & the greek people with the afore mentioned
institutions of the Troika of the IMF, the ECB and the EU commission. What
happens next will decide the future of the Euro project and mark a defining
moment in the international approach to the end of austerity.
The capitalist institutions of the Troika have as of yet
showed not only a disregard, but a complete contempt for the democracy of the
Greek people in electing Syriza as their government back in February of this
year, openly talking about regime change in Athens, brought about not in the
traditional sense of military might but of financial blackmail and terror and they
won’t now simply roll over in the face of a resounding Oxi from the Greek
people. The coming days will see how far they are willing to go to impose a set
of ideologically driven, economically illiterate proposal of an austerity
driven European economy and will ultimately decide how a large proportion of
the left views the viability of its current mainstream position in the debate
over EU membership in the face of the withdrawal narrative of the right in
promoting xenophobia, attacking workers and human rights and of national
sovereignty in the upcoming referendum of 2017. If the capitalist institutions
which as present the EU is and has been moulded to be so refuse to accept both
the mandate of the Syriza government and of the referendum, the position of
staying in to reform Europe into a people’s Europe based on the progressive
advancements like freedom of movement and of workers’ rights becomes in my
opinion untenable. For those of us who want to see and build a federal Europe
which benefits the majority of the people of Europe the time may come where we
realise the EU as an institution is incapable of becoming what we so desire.
This vote also brings about questions relating to the independence movement in
Scotland and our relationship with Europe, with capitalism as a whole and of a
currency union, the pitfalls of such an arrangement laid bare for all to see as
the Greeks have no control over the re-balancing/restructuring of a battered and
failing economy which has been slashed beyond recognition by the forces of
austerity and neoliberalism.
For now however we have a momentous result to celebrate and
to learn from. The Greek people have stood up to the forces of reaction and
fear among the threat of Euro withdrawal, default and capital controls and for
that we in Scotland can only admire from afar. For the left in Scotland it gives us great joy, inspiration and a sense of togetherness across national and
economic boundaries with our European comrades that only strengthens our desire for the kind of Europe we want to see; a Europe based on the politics of hope and internationalism with an economy
centred around the needs of the majority of the peoples of Europe.
If Scotland
had shown the same conviction and bravery as the Greeks, we wouldn’t be staring
down the barrel of the first all Tory budget since the year I was brought into
this world in 1996. What we can however learn is that a mandate of opposing austerity
and refusing to implement cuts coupled with hard work and commitment in protecting our
communities can both gather popular support and be electorally successful. With a
class war budget in the coming days and a national election less than 12 months
away, we have much to fight for and much to ponder, doing so buoyed by the bravery and spirit of the Greek
people. For that we can truly say… Oxi Thanks!
