Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras wrapped up the three-day parliamentary debate on the government’s policy statements in the early hours of Wednesday morning: “We are not negotiating the memorandum that was cancelled by its own failure and by the verdict of our people,” he said. “We are negotiating the loan contract and not the memorandum, which is the legal expression of a programme of neoliberal austerity and internal devaluation. More than 450 enacting laws.”

Bridge Deal

He reiterated Greece’s interest in a “bridge deal” that would help tide Greece over from the memorandum to the post-bailout era that would mark an end to austerity measures. This deal would not require new loans or burden taxpayers of other EU countries as the foreign media has suggested. On the contrary, Tsipras and his government want “the return of money that central banks made in profits that are owed to Greece or to be able to use money that has already been borrowed and is in the Hellenic Financial Stability Fund (HFSF) so as to rid the banking system of bad loans, or an increase to the limit of T-bonds that can be issued.” He said, “We are seeking technical facilitations, not more money.”

Europe

“We are at a historic crossroad. What will be decided over the coming days is whether Europe will maintain its cohesion and proceed through change or whether it will make way to a Europe of discord, fear and instability,” he said, pointing to Greece’s role in supporting universal values. “We are the most pro-European partner in a Europe where we are all coresidents without owners and renters. We respect the power of certain partners that are the steam engine of the European economy as well as powerful forces that control hegemony with persuasion. WHoever counts on brute force and conflict are wrong because they are injuring Europe and a joint European future. I am optimistic that we will reach a mutual compromise because I don’t think there are forces that want to lead a nation to misery and punishment!”

Previous government

During his speech he appeared outraged by the action of the previous coalition government and delivered scathing attacks against both former conservative New Democracy prime minister Antonis Samaras and deputy socialist PASOK prime minister Evangelos Venizelos. He highlighted that in their last few months of office they had worked against Greece’s interest only to ensure the new Greek government’s failure.

He suggested that the mere two-month extension instead of the six-month extension was a ploy that the outgoing government had used to throw the Radical Left Coalition in the deep end. “You know very well that, if there was loan protection until June, there would be no technical excuse for the European Central Bank’s stance, which wants the existence of a loan program and not a memorandum program,” he said. “We would have carried out the popular mandate and legislated our program without anyone blackmailing us and telling us that bank support would be cut.”

“You planned Greece’s backmail to the last detail,” he accused. “It was your last choice, in hope that you would be saved. You rolled Greece as though playing in a crapshoot, simply so that history does not chew you up. Understand this, history will judge you harshly!”