The Speaker of the Greek Parliament Launches a Debt Audit Commission

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

The Speaker of the Greek Parliament Launches a Debt Audit Commission The Speaker of the Greek parliament launches a debt audit commission Extrait du CADTM http://cadtm.org/The-Speaker-of-the-Greek Greece The Speaker of the Greek parliament launches a debt audit commission Date de mise en ligne : Friday 20 March 2015 CADTM Copyleft CADTM Page 1/3 The Speaker of the Greek parliament launches a debt audit commission The Speaker of the Greek parliament, Zoé Konstantopoulou, has announced during a press conference on 17 March 2015 the creation of a commission to audit the Greek debt. The scientific coordination of the commission will be led by Eric Toussaint, Spokesman for CADTM and a member of the Ecuadorian debt audit Commission that sat in 2007-2008. "The purpose is to identify any debts taken on by the Greek government that may have an illegal, illegitimate or odious nature," the Greek people "has the right to demand that any part of the Greek debt that may eventually be shown to be illegal - be erased," declared the Greek Parliament's Speaker. Also present at the press conference was Sofia Sakorafa, SYRIZA elected MEP (since 2014), who accepted to be the newly formed committee's liaison with the European Parliament. Sofia Sakorafa quit the PASOK party in 2010 when George Papandreou pushed through the memorandum signed conjointly with the Troika. Already in December 2010 as a Greek MP she was favourable to a proposition to create a debt audit. In 2011, she took part in launching a committee for the citizen's audit of Greek debt (ELE). In 2012 she was the the Greek MP, all parties considered, elected with the highest number of votes. Georges Katrougalos, Minister for institutional reform was also present at the press conference to bring his support to the Parliamentary Speaker's initiative. Georges Katrougalos had also participated in the launching of ELE. Finally, the Parliamentary Speaker hailed the presence of ELE members: Moisis Litsis, Sonia and Giorgos Mitralias ( CADTM Greece), and Leonidas Vatikiodis (one of the authors of the films Debtocracy and Catastroïka). The Greek, as well as French and Spanish, media have widely reported this press conference:(Le Monde, Le Soir, L'Echo, L'Avenir, Agence France Presse...), as well as publicly run radio stations in Belgium and Romansh Switzerland. The one o'clock news on the Belgian public radio and television service broadcast an interview with Eric Toussaint live from Syndagma place in Athens just after the press conference (can be seen here). Sofia Sakorafa, Zoe Konstantopoulou and Eric Toussaint at the press conference In all, about thirty Greek and International experts will take part in the commission and a preliminary report is expected in June. "Either when the 20 February agreement comes to termination or when a new round of negotiations will start", says Adea Guillot, permanent correspondant to Le Soir and Le Monde. Not all of the names of the commission members will not be known until the first meeting in early April. From April to June is not much time but that will only be the beginning. Eric Toussaint said in an interview given to the Belgian financial newspaper L'Echo "We will make a preliminary report in June mostly concerning the debt claimed by the Troika, now called the Copyleft CADTM Page 2/3 The Speaker of the Greek parliament launches a debt audit commission 'Institutions', but the whole audit will probably take until December 2015. The goal of the commission is to show to the Greek people, by deep reaching analysis, the nature of the loans made to Greece. This matter is urgent, the Greek people are being stigmatised". Zoé Konstantopoulou is already being accused by different Greek political parties (New Democracy, PASOK and Potami) of fanning the flames of dissent. But this woman, who has an enormous capacity for work ( http://www.lemonde.fr/international... ), will keep going. "A whole people has been pushed to its knees and we cannot accept to be subjected to such propaganda (...) We have a duty to act or this debt will burden our future generations." In any case the Debt Audit Commission is not a substitute for the Greek government who will decide which debts should be paid and which debts should be erased. Again as Adea Guillot remarked: "Once the result of the audit is known, and should it conclude that a part of the Greek debt is illegitimate, nothing will oblige the creditors to accept pure and simple write-offs of their loans. But 'the Greek government could take the sovereign decision not to pay', says Eric Toussaint. 'Our commission seeks to provide solid and rational arguments to support the Greek government should it take this course of action', he added". Translation : Mike Krolikowski Copyleft CADTM Page 3/3.
Recommended publications
  • Factsheet: the Hellenic Parliament
    Directorate-General for the Presidency Directorate for Relations with National Parliaments Factsheet: The Hellenic Parliament 1. At a glance Greece is a parliamentary democracy. The Hellenic Parliament is comprised of 300 Members who are directly elected by the citizens under a combination of voting systems. Voting in Greece is compulsory. The main functions of the Parliament are to vote on legislation (which can be introduced by Government ministers, individual Members or political groups in the Parliament, in accordance with the constitution) and to exercise democratic control over the activities of the Government and other state agencies. Elections normally take place every four years, but early elections may be called by the Prime Minister at any time. Early elections are also foreseen by the Constitution in the case of loss of confidence to the Government following a relevant vote in Parliament, or in the case of inability to elect the President of the Republic. For the first time, this last ground for early elections was triggered in December 2014 when the required majorities were not reached during the election process of the President of the Republic. Following the elections on 25 January 2015, SYRIZA (GUE/NGL) formed a coalition government with the Independent Greeks (no affiliation in the EP) under Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras. 2. Composition Results of the elections of 25 January 2015 Party EP % Seats affiliation Synaspismos Rizospastikis Aristeras (SYRIZA) 36,3 149 Coalition of Radical Left Nea Democratia 27,8 76 New Democracy Chrisi Avgi Non- 6,3 17 Golden Dawn attached To Potami 17 6,1 The River Kommounistiko Komma Elladas Non- Communist Party of Greece attached 5,5 15 Aneksartitoi Ellines (ANEL) No affiliation 4,8 13 Independent Greeks in the EP Panellinio Sosialistiko Kinima (PASOK) 4,8 13 Pan-Hellenic Socialist Movement Others 8,5 100% 300 Turnout: 63.87% The next elections must take place by February 2019 at the latest.
    [Show full text]
  • My Greece. the Journey Inside Syriza
    Robert Misik My Greece. The Journey Inside Syriza. Days of Decision. While the Greek drama moved towards a decision, I travelled into the interior of the new Greece. Meetings with Alexis Tsipras, his closest aids, local activists, young businessmen, working-class militants and people, who just manage to survive. Translation: Barbara Stanzl (Spiralcat-Translations). “To our government,” Nikos shouts, slightly sarcastically. While we are lifting our beers, Katerina adds with an additional pinch of irony and a touch of bitterness, “It’s high time that we actually start to govern.” We’re sitting at the Café Stretto in Thessaloniki and the Greece Emergency crisis summit with EU Zone leaders from last Monday evening had just finished. The latest news is coming in. There are indications that Alexis Tsipras has in fact moved his position in the direction the creditors want and that an agreement isn’t far away. Details are still lacking at this point. The next morning laughter has been replaced by shock. Katerina Notopoulous’s mobile rings every minute. The 27 year old is a member of the central committee of the governing Syriza party. We actually wanted to take the day off and drive to the coast. „Thank you Merkel and Alexis. You’ve screwed up my day,“ she says, between two telephone calls, with a strained grin and a sour face. The calls are from two outraged party members who can’t believe that the Tsipras government could agree to a new and fatal austerity program of over eight billion euros. I’m tearing along the bumpy streets to Chalkidiki in our little Fiat.
    [Show full text]
  • Misuse of Interpol's Red Notices and Impact on Human Rights
    STUDY Requested by the DROI committee Misuse of Interpol’s Red Notices and impact on human rights – recent developments Policy Department for External Relations Directorate General for External Policies of the Union PE 603.472 - January 2019 EN DIRECTORATE-GENERAL FOR EXTERNAL POLICIES POLICY DEPARTMENT STUDY Misuse of Interpol’s Red Notices and impact on human rights – recent developments ABSTRACT International organisations continue to report the abuse by some states of Interpol’s Notice System to persecute national human rights defenders, civil society activists and critical journalists in violation of international standards of human rights. Available case studies, written reports and interviews with organisations working in the field confirm the reported abuses. Recent Interpol reforms have made significant impact on safeguarding individuals both substantially and procedurally. Nevertheless, and especially considering the significant increase in the number of Notices and Diffusions in the Interpol system, reforms remain to be fully implemented and transparency and enforcement mechanisms continue to leave room for improvement. Taking as a point of departure the responses from the EU institutions and bodies, and EU Member States, the study recommends taking further steps for Interpol to ensure full implementation of recent reforms, a fully transparent system and consistent legal and procedural safeguards for individuals in the Interpol Notice System. EP/EXPO/B/COMMITTEE/FWC/2013-08/Lot8/22 EN January2019 - PE 603.472 © European Union, 2019 Policy Department, Directorate-General for External Policies This paper was requested by the European Parliament's Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI) English-language manuscript was completed on 17 January 2019. Printed in Belgium.
    [Show full text]
  • Ta Matia Nov01.P65
    www.goyanz.org.nz Issue No. 10 November 2001 GOYA 50th Reunion Greek Church Is By John Serepisos Destroyed In Wake of Towers’ Collapse abour weekend 2001 will long be remembered for the get- together of the original immigrants to New Zealand who arrived St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, L here on the MV GOYA in three separate sailings in 1951. On a tiny church that for decades stood the Saturday afternoon a special commemorative function was held at alone in the middle of a parking lot the Greek Community Centre where a slide-show presentation was held across the street from the World Trade depicting immigrants and scenes from the GOYA voyage to New Centre, was swept away in the wave of Zealand. It was a good chance for many of the original voyagers to destruction as the complex collapsed. reflect and catch up with old friends and family. It was also a timely “I was down there on Wednesday,” says reminder to the younger generation and descendents of the hardships Father Romas, known as Father John among his congregants. “My and sacrifices that the GOYA immigrants had to endure. heart was broke in two. My church is gone — and to have so many people in the World Trade Centre that are dead.” Before the end came, the four-story building was known as a survivor, its plain white-washed walls cloaked in the shadows of the steel- and-glass skyscrapers that rose as the neighborhood evolved from a bustling immigrant enclave into a center of global finance. Property values soared, but despite developers’ continual efforts to get the church to sell out, St.
    [Show full text]
  • Preliminary Report
    Preliminary report The Truth Committee on Public Debt (Debt Truth Committee) was established on April 4, 2015, by a decision of the President of the Hellenic Parliament, Ms Zoe Konstantopoulou, who confided the Scientific Coordination of its work to Dr. Eric Toussaint and the cooperation of the Committee with the European Parliament and other Parliaments and international organizations to MEP Ms Sofia Sakorafa. Members of the Committee have convened in public and closed sessions, to produce this preliminary report, under the supervision of the scientific coordinator and with the cooperation and input of other members of the Committee, as well as experts and contributors. The preliminary report chapters were coordinated by: Bantekas Ilias Contargyris Thanos Fattorelli Maria Lucia Husson Michel Laskaridis Christina Marchetos Spyros Onaran Ozlem Tombazos Stavros Vatikiotis Leonidas Vivien Renaud With contributions from: Aktypis Héraclès Albarracin Daniel Bonfond Olivier Borja Diego Cutillas Sergi Gonçalves Alves Raphaël Goutziomitros Fotis Kasimatis Giorgos Kazakos Aris Lumina Cephas Mitralias Sonia Saurin Patrick Sklias Pantelis Spanou Despoina Stromblos Nikos Tzitzikou Sofia The authors are grateful for the advice and input received from other members of the Truth Committee on Public Debt as well as other experts, who contributed to the Committee’s work during the public sessions and hearings and the closed or informal consultations. The authors are grateful for the valuable assistance of Arnaoutis Petros Konstantinos, Aronis Charalambos, Bama Claudia, Karageorgiou Louiza, Makrygianni Antigoni and Papaioannou Stavros 2 Executive Summary n June 2015 Greece stands at a crossroads of improve its capacity to pay the debt back. The facts choosing between furthering the failed macroe- presented in this report challenge this argument.
    [Show full text]
  • SYRIZA, Bloco and Podemos
    Transnational networking and cooperation among neo-reformist left parties in Southern Europe during the Eurozone crisis: SYRIZA, Bloco and Podemos Vladimir Bortun The thesis is submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy of the University of Portsmouth. March 2019 Abstract European parties to the left of social democracy have always lagged behind the main political families in terms of transnational cooperation at the level of the EU. However, the markedly transnational character of the Eurozone crisis and of the management of that crisis has arguably provided a uniquely propitious context for these parties to reduce that gap. This research project aims to establish whether they achieved that by focusing on three parties that were particularly prone to seeking an increase in their transnational cooperation: SYRIZA from Greece, Bloco de Esquerda from Portugal and Podemos from Spain. For these parties not only come from the member states most affected by the crisis, both economically and politically, but they also share several programmatic and strategic features favouring such an increase. By using a mix of document analysis, semi-structured interviews and non-participatory observation, the thesis discusses both the informal and formal transnational networking and cooperation among the three parties. This discussion reveals four key findings, with potentially useful insights for wider transnational party cooperation that are to be pursued in future research. Firstly, the transnational networking and cooperation among SYRIZA, Bloco and Podemos did increase at some point during the crisis, particularly around SYRIZA’s electoral victory in January 2015. Secondly, since the U-turn of that government in July 2015, SYRIZA’s relationship with both Bloco and Podemos has declined significantly, as reflected in their diverging views of the EU.
    [Show full text]
  • Party-Level Euroscepticism of the Radical
    PARTY-LEVEL EUROSCEPTICISM OF THE RADICAL POPULIST POLITICAL PARTIES IN THE EUROPEAN UNION MEMBER STATES: THE CASES OF THE UNITED KINGDOM INDEPENDENCE PARTY (UKIP) AND THE COALITION OF THE RADICAL LEFT (SYRIZA) A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES OF MIDDLE EAST TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY BY EBRU ECE ÖZBEY IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE IN THE DEPARTMENT OF EUROPEAN STUDIES SEPTEMBER 2016 Approval of the Graduate School of Social Sciences Prof. Dr. Tülin GENÇÖZ Director I certify that this thesis satisfies all the requirements as a thesis for the degree of Master of Science. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Galip YALMAN Head of Department This is to certify that we have read this thesis and that in our opinion it is fully adequate, in scope and quality, as a thesis for the degree of Master of Science. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Özgehan ŞENYUVA Supervisor Examining Committee Members Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zana ÇITAK (METU, IR) Assoc. Prof. Dr. Özgehan ŞENYUVA (METU, IR) Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dimitris TSAROUHAS (Bilkent Uni., IR) I hereby declare that all information in this document has been obtained and presented in accordance with academic rules and ethical conduct. I also declare that, as required by these rules and conduct, I have fully cited and referenced all material and results that are not original to this work. Name, Last name: Ebru Ece ÖZBEY Signature: iii ABSTRACT PARTY-LEVEL EUROSCEPTICISM OF THE RADICAL POPULIST POLITICAL PARTIES IN THE EUROPEAN UNION MEMBER STATES: THE CASES OF THE UNITED KINGDOM INDEPENDENCE PARTY (UKIP) AND THE COALITION OF THE RADICAL LEFT (SYRIZA) ÖZBEY, Ebru Ece Master of Science, Department of European Studies Supervisor: Assoc.
    [Show full text]
  • Men's 100M Diamond Discipline 18.05.2019
    Men's 100m Diamond Discipline 18.05.2019 Start list 100m Time: 20:53 Records Lane Athlete Nat NR PB SB 1 Tyquendo TRACEY JAM 9.58 9.96 10.32 WR 9.58 Usain BOLT JAM Berlin 16.08.09 2 Michael RODGERS USA 9.69 9.85 10.28 AR 9.91 Femi OGUNODE QAT Wuhan 04.06.15 3 Reece PRESCOD GBR 9.87 9.94 =AR 9.91 Femi OGUNODE QAT Gainesville, FL 22.04.16 =AR 9.91 Bingtian SU CHN Madrid 22.06.18 4 Christian COLEMAN USA 9.69 9.79 =AR 9.91 Bingtian SU CHN Paris 30.06.18 5 Bingtian SU CHN 9.91 9.91 NR 9.91 Bingtian SU CHN Madrid 22.06.18 6 Noah LYLES USA 9.69 9.88 10.14 =NR 9.91 Bingtian SU CHN Paris 30.06.18 7 Akani SIMBINE RSA 9.89 9.89 WJR 9.97 Trayvon BROMELL USA Eugene, OR 13.06.14 8 Zhenye XIE CHN 9.91 9.97 MR 9.69 Tyson GAY USA 20.09.09 9 Isiah YOUNG USA 9.69 9.92 10.22 DLR 9.69 Yohan BLAKE JAM Lausanne 23.08.12 SB 9.94 Divine ODUDURU NGR Waco, TX 20.04.19 2019 World Outdoor list Medal Winners Shanghai previous 9.94 +0.8 Divine ODUDURU NGR Waco, TX 20.04.19 2019 - Asian Ch. Winners 9.97 +0.2 Cravon GILLESPIE USA Tucson, AZ 12.05.19 9.98 +1.0 Roberto SKYERS CUB Camagüey 22.02.19 1.
    [Show full text]
  • Syriza's Rise and Fall
    Interview: New Masses—13 stathis kouvelakis SYRIZA’S RISE AND FALL Syriza won power in January 2015 as an anti-austerity party—the most advanced political opposition so far to the hardening deflationary poli- cies of the Brussels–Berlin–Frankfurt axis. Six months later, the Tsipras government forced through the harshest austerity package Greece had yet seen. This trajectory was a predictable outcome of the contradiction embod- ied in Syriza’s programme: reject austerity, but keep the euro. Why was Tsipras so incapable of envisaging a course inside the eu but outside the Eurozone, the position of Sweden, Denmark, Poland and half a dozen other European countries? irst, one shouldn’t underestimate the popularity of the euro in the southern-periphery countries—Greece, Spain, Portugal—for whom joining the eu meant accessing political and economic modernity. For Greece, in particular, it meant Fbeing part of the West in a different way to that of the us-imposed post- civil war regime. It seemed a guarantee of the new democratic course: after all, it’s only since 1974 that Greece has known a political regime similar to other Western countries, after decades of authoritarianism, military dictatorship and civil war. The European Community also offered the promise of combining prosperity with a social dimension, supposedly inherent to the project, which sealed the political com- pact that emerged after the fall of the Junta. Joining the euro seemed the logical conclusion of that process. Having the same currency as the most advanced countries has a tremendous power over people’s imagination—carrying in your pocket the same currency as Germans or Dutch, even if you are a low-paid Greek worker or pensioner—which new left review 97 jan feb 2016 45 46 nlr 97 those of us who’d been in favour of exiting the euro since the start of the crisis tended to underestimate.
    [Show full text]
  • As a Pdf File
    1 Interview with Eric Toussaint, spokesperson and co-founder of the international network of the Committee for the Abolition of Illegitimate Debt INTRO (CADTM). Interview by Benjamin Lemoine. This interview presents the genealogy From Africa to Latin America, citizens’ of the anti-debt struggle, the campaigns participation in audits ushers in hope. for debt cancellation, the empirical However, most of the time their purpo- foundation, the political battles and the se is lost due to the neglect of the cru- concepts of the “illegitimate”, “illegal” or saders-turned-rulers, where the rulers “odious” nature of public debt. In other have the final say vis-à-vis the financial words, how it is necessary for the Com- system. Yet, sometimes the audits are mittee for the Abolition of Illegitimate immensely successful. We review the Debt (CADTM) – formerly known as the experience of the audit of the Greek so- Committee for the Abolition of Third vereign debt, full of intrigues and unex- World Debt – to ally with opposition pected twists in which it took very little forces and social movements, where to tip the balance. When the hopeful the concepts and the people involved dream for a new international coope- can challenge and overpower debt and ration (a conference in London on the its «system” once the government hears Greek debt as requested by Alexis Tsi- their voice. Yet, for CADTM the outright pras) seems naive and where, according priority is to fortify the activities descri- to Eric Toussaint, unilateral sovereign bed below rather than lobbying. decisions are indispensable in order to reverse the balance of power.
    [Show full text]
  • 2018 European Championships Statistics – Women’S JT by K Ken Nakamura
    2018 European Championships Statistics – Women’s JT by K Ken Nakamura Summary: All time Performance List at the European Championships (new- after 2002) Performance Performer Dist ance Name Nat Pos Venue Year 1 1 67.47 Mirela Manjan i GRE 1 München 2002 2 2 66.86 Vira Rebryk UKR 1 Helsinki 2012 3 3 66.81 Linda Stahl GER 1 Barcelona 2010 4 4 66.34 Tatsiana Khaladovich BLR 1 Amsterdam 2016 5 5 66.12 Barbora Spotakova CZE 1qA Göteborg 2006 6 6 65.82 Steffi Nerius GER 1 Göteborg 2006 7 65.64 Barbora Spotakova 2 Göteborg 2006 8 7 65.58 Christina Obergfölll GER 2 Barcelona 2010 Margin of Victory (New Javelin) Difference Distance Name Nat Venue Year Max 3.38 67.47 Mirela Manjani GRE Munchen 2002 Min 18cm 65.82 Steffi Neriu s GER Goteborg 2006 Best Marks for Places in the European Championships (new) Pos Distance Name Nat Venue Year 1 67.47 Mirela Manjani GRE München 2002 2 65.64 Barbora Spotakova CZE Göteborg 2006 3 65.36 Barbora Spotakova CZE Barcelona 2010 Longest non-qualifier for the final Distance Position Name Nat Venue Year 59.65 7qB Nikola Brejchova CZE Budapest 1998 Multiple Gold Medalists: Ruth Fuchs (GDR): 1974, 1978 Dana Zatopkova (TCH): 1954, 1958 Multiple Medals by athletes from a single nation Nation Year Gold Silver Bronze GER 2012 Christina Obergföll Linda Stahl GER 2010 Linda Stahl Christina Obergföll GDR 1990 Karen Forkel Petra Felke GRE 1982 Anna Verouli Sofia Sakorafa GDR 1978 Ruth Fuchs Ute Hommola GDR 1974 Ruth Fuchs Jacqueline Todten HUN 1969 Angela Nemeth -Ranky Marta Vidos -Paulanyi URS 1962 Elvira Ozolina Alevtina Shastitko URS 1954 Virve Roolaid Nadyezhda Konyayeva URS 1950 Natalya Smirnitskaya Galina Zibina URS 1946 Klavdiya Mayuchaya Lyudmila Anokina GER 1938 Lisa Gelius Susi Pastoors Luise Krüger Man & Woman from the same team winning the corresponding event: Nation Men Women Venue Year URS Janis Lusis Elvira Ozolina Beograd 1962 Note: None of the ancillary marks are included in the table.
    [Show full text]
  • Report by Delegation Chair Sofia Sakorafa on the Visit to Guatemala and Honduras
    EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT 2014 - 2019 Delegation for relations with the countries of Central America Report by Delegation Chair Sofia Sakorafa on the visit to Guatemala and Honduras 16 to 20 February 2015 Guatemala City (Guatemala) and Tegucigalpa (Honduras) Introduction: The Delegation for relations with the countries of Central America, which visited Guatemala and Honduras from 16 to 20 February 2015, was headed by Sofia Sakorafa (GUE/NGL, EL). She was accompanied by MEPs Caterina Chinnici (S&D, IT) and Miroslav Mikolášik (EPP, SK), The WG was assisted at all times by Helmut Weixler and Felix Lutz, representing Parliament’s General Secretariat, and a team of interpreters made up of Vaia Mitroussi, Vasiliki Chrysanthakopoulou, Verónica Ortiz Zapater, Hugo Pooley and Susan Jennifer Fearnside. According to the programme (see annex) the delegation addressed a broad variety of issues during its visit to Guatemala and Honduras, ranging from economic and social aspects to the social, legal and human rights situation in both countries. This visit, although short in duration, offered an opportunity to the delegation members to become acquainted with some of the specificities of each country. In Honduras several projects- sites were visited, allowing the EP Delegation to have a look at the implementation of EU funded projects. I. GUATEMALA (16-18 February) Introduction At the time of the visit of President Pérez Molina has been in office for three years. This provided a good opportunity to evaluate the achievements of this government, with the different authorities and sectors of Guatemalan society, particularly in view of the large DV\1065304EN.doc PE559.458v01-00 EN EN number of initiatives launched by President Pérez Molina’s government.
    [Show full text]