Tsipras: We managed to avert catastrophe

Fears of more desertions from party central committee

Addressing a partisan audience during a national SYRIZA pre-election conference, Saturday former Greek PM Alexis Tsipras appeared certain that despite the huge difficulties Greece had left the toughest part behind it. In a spike towards former comrade and current leader of the ‘Popular Unity’ party, Panayiotis Lafazanis, Tsipras said someone ‘had to dirty his hands to ensure the future’ referring to the compromise the government made to accept the harshest memorandum terms to date. ‘We came up against ‘monsters’ in and out of the country. We do not regret our choice to avoid catastrophe’, he pointed out. Meanwhile, SYRIZA officials close to Tsipra’s circle fear a mass departure of SYRIZA central committee members in the framework of the national conference.