Greece

Thousands of workers, pensioners, self-employed, and youth took part in the demonstration at the centre of Athens that the Communist Party trade union front PAME organised and which was accompanied by a march to the Maximus Mansion (i.e., prime ministerial residence) thus expressing their opposition to the looming ‘Memorandum’.

At the last minute, when it seemed that a break was inevitable, the Greek government made a new proposal which included substantial additional concessions to the demands of Europe’s bankers and capitalists. It is not only that the Syriza government has been forced to abandon substantial points of its own election program, but even the famous “red lines” have been crossed.

The protracted negotiations between Greece and the troika which started after the election of Syriza on January 25 this year seem to have reached a dead end to which there seems to be no negotiated solution. This perception has accelerated the withdrawal of deposits from the banks which in turn brings the outcome closer. The troika is tightening the noose and unless the victim manages to break free it will choke.

The EU and IMF sharks have dropped their mask and revealed their real intentions, removing any illusions there may have been that an "honourable compromise" with the Greek government was somehow possible. The question is: what should be done now? What programme and policy should the government adopt in breaking with the creditors? Here we provide a statement of the .

More than 500 activists responded to the call of the Communist Tendency and signed the petition in favour of the cancellation of the Memoranda, the immediate withdrawal of the new Memorandum and the immediate implementation of election commitments. Amongst them are activists from the entire spectrum of the left wing of Syriza.

SYRIZA and the Independent Greeks (ANEL) have just completed three months in government in Greece. The economic, social, and political situation in Greece is characterised by the worsening of the profound crisis of Greek capitalism, and by the increasing intransigence of the foreign creditors. Its fate is being sealed by the shattering of the delusions of the new administration with regard to the possibility of breaking with austerity and memoranda within the framework of bourgeois politics.

A stand-off is taking place between the Greek government and the country’s creditors that could end up with Greece defaulting on its debt, leaving the euro and even the EU itself. This would have very serious consequences both for the Greek people and the European and world economy. What is this leading to?

Last week several thousand gold miners marched in Athens against the government (the media claimed there were 6,000 protesters, although this is visibly an exaggeration). They were demonstrating against the government’s plans to close the Skouries gold mine in Chalkidiki, owned by the Canadian mining company El Dorado and also partly by Greek investors.