He used the catchphrase “Go back”, while addressing a large crowd of supporters on Friday at the Sappho square of Mytilene, Lesvos island.

The phrase alluded to the same one used by the Greek Popular Liberating Army (ELAS) and the insurgent citizens of Mytilene at Christmas 1944 while averting the landing of British Commonwealth soldiers.

“Today times have changed, but the great issue of sovereignty, an issue of life and death for Greece and our people, is once again dramatically timely” said Tsipras, saying “Go back Mrs. Merkel, Mr. Schaeuble, ladies and gentlemen of the conservative nomenklatura of Europe.”

Tsipras also made a reference to the special problems that the island faces, economically and socially, calling its citizens to vote for SYRIZA in the forthcoming European elections and municipality elections. He called the people of Lesvos to vote “against the day after the elections that is being prepared by Mr. Samaras, Mr. Venizelos, their banker friends, their oligarch allies, their far-right friends and the whole clan that led us here.”

According to the leader of SYRIZA, the medium-term plan brought to the parliament by the government partners “includes new painful charges of billion euros, new taxes and new social spending cuts, from 2015 to 2018. Which means: a new pogrom against the Greek people”, argued Tsipras.

He blamed the Prime Minister Antonis Samaras and his party New Democracy of maintaining relations with far-right elements “which he uses as a wildcard in the submission game of the Greek people.”

Tsipras ended his speech by posing the questions: “Will we resist or bow? […] Democratic overthrow or undemocratic aberration? Left or far-right? Greece or Merkel?”.