In response the attempted blackmail by the European Central Bank (ECB) of Greece's new anti-austerity SYRIZA government in response to its bid to renegotiate its crippling debt and austerity programs, the Party of the European Left has called for mass demonstrations from February 11-17 in support of Greece. You can read about the latest developments in Greece's battle with the European elites here.
The European Left unites a range of left-wing parties across Europe, including SYRIZA. The statement below calling for mass mobilisations was released on February 6 by European Left President Pierre Laurent.
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Greece urgently needs our solidarity. The upcoming days are crucial. The new government of Alexis Tsipras has engaged in negotiation to enforce the mandate of his people.
By applying its social and economic recovery program as well as democratic restoration, SYRIZA can manage to change Greece and, with us, to change the rules in Europe in order to get out of austerity. The Troika (European Union, ECB and the International Monetary Fund), Angela Merkel, the Liberals and the financial power know this. They want to close the breach.
This is the reason why the ECB decided to change the system of loans guarantees in Greek banks. They are trying to create panic.
This brutality facing the goodwill and negotiation efforts undertaken by the Tsipras-government, is an attack against all European peoples, against democracy. It shows to which level the standoff that has been launched will be difficult.
We must be alongside the Greek government. European citizens must pressure their governments to respect the vote of the Greeks, to change the rules imposed by the ECB and the Troika and leave Greece breathe.
The time required has to be left to SYRIZA to rebuild the country's development on a new basis, instead of keep on suffocating it. This is our common struggle. All European nations need to come out of austerity and act for European solutions based on solidarity.
I call all the forces that refuse austerity and the blackmail of the debt to amplify the popular pressure in the different countries of the EU on their government, on central banks and on the ECB by multiplying solidarity actions throughout Europe on February the 11th, the day of the extraordinary meeting of the Eurogroup. The mobilization should keep on all over the week from February 11-17; during the European Council on February 12 and 13 February, until the Eurogroup of February 17.
Greeks mobilise to support the SYRIZA government against ECB blackmail on February 5.
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