European Powers Gear-Up for Colonisation of Greece while Syriza Capitulates

-Rajesh Tyagi/ 13.7.2015

European powers have issued fresh ultimatum to Greece to implement the austerity program within three days, i.e. by Wednesday as deadline. The program is apparently designed to relegate the country to the status of a colony inside Eurozone. 

Led by German government, European powers are insisting upon annulment of the popular laws passed by the Greek Parliament after Syriza took to power and further to pass new laws that impose austerity program tailored to the wishes and needs of the European Banks. This would leave the country completely dry, sucking all residue of lifeblood that still flows in the veins of Greece.

Failure by Greece to comply with the ultimatum issued by European powers is threatened with not only depriving it from accessing bailout package, but outright expulsion from the Eurozone. The action would immediately result in a breakdown of Greek economy and collapse of the country.

The ultimatum has come on the heels of a referendum a week before in the country that rejected the austerity, quantified at 9 billion Euro, with sweeping majority vote. This rejection, however, failed to deter the European powers, who instead have stepped up the offensive against Greece since then.

The response of Syriza, the ruling coalition of fake left in Greece, that represents the interests of Greek bourgeoisie, is one of capitulation and compromise. Notwithstanding the landslide vote by Greek masses against the austerity program of EU, Syriza has offered even worse austerity package, quantified at 13 billion Euros, than the one already rejected by Greek masses at 9 billion Euros.

Bolstered further by the capitulation of Syriza, the European powers have stepped up the offensive to push through their austerity agenda that includes mortgage of public assets equal to bailout package of 50 billion euros, enormous cuts in health, education, pensions and other social spending, privatization of public enterprises, placing economic planning under control of European powers, ban on strikes and all collective bargaining, etc.  

In fact, the capitulation of Syriza is the direct result of the fear of Greek bourgeoisie, whose interests it represents, from nationwide mobilization of workers and toilers against austerity measures. The Greek bourgeoisie is looking at this mobilization as imminent threat to its own power and wealth in Greece. It would prefer a compromise with imperialists of EU on any terms whatsoever, than to allow the working class and toilers to take to power.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, has given clear indication that his government would take the ‘no’ vote to austerity as ‘yes’ and would negotiate for a settlement instead of going for confrontation with EU imperialist powers.

Tsipras and Syriza led by him, are the devoted defenders of private property and bourgeois power. Syriza is a coalition of Stalinists, Pabloites and like many hues of fake lefts, dedicated to the cause of preserving capitalism and preventing the working class from offering its solution to the crisis of Greece.

While still attempting to apply left demagogy, Tsipras is in fact preparing to bow down before EU, ally with pro-austerity parties inside country and purge Syriza and the government from all those who oppose austerity.

The referendum that Tsipras had ordered was in fact a maneuver to force the austerity measures using it as a veneer to its capitulation. The results though came as unwarranted surprise to Tsipras. Since then the Syriza government is seeking measures to torpedo the mass mandate and enter into a compromise with EU.

Greek crisis is the part of overall economic crisis of world capitalism that had set in 2008 and continues unabated. Imperialist powers are hell bent upon shifting the burden of this crisis upon the shoulders of the working class. Greece is the first victim under its axe that would gradually fall upon the necks of working class across Europe.

If implemented, the austerity package would throw majority of the Greek workers and toilers into extreme poverty and deprivation and Greece would become a slave colony of EU.

Either the Greek crisis would push the country into abominable status or in the alternative it may trigger a revolutionary wave across Europe. While Syriza and the likes of it tutelage of bourgeoisie would cling to the first, the second option remains open subject to the reorientation of the working class, inside and outside Greece, towards a revolutionary program that includes forced seizure of power by the working class in Greece, repudiation of all foreign debts, and confiscation of all bourgeois property.

Conscious of this potential consequence of the crisis, fatal for the rule of capital, the capitalist agencies like Syriza would prompt to diffuse the crisis at the earliest, before it may wake up the sleeping tiger- the European working class. To do this, they would press in use, deception and violence, both.

Working class in Greece is up in arms, not only against attempts to impose austerity but also against capitulation before EU by Syriza government under Tsipras. Huge demonstrations are taking place in Barcelona city, with those disillusioned folks, turning out in thousands, who had recently voted Syriza to power, but are betrayed by it. The crisis seems to be spiralling up at the moment. 

While the opportunist lefts are making attempts to douse the fires of upsurge, the reactionary forces in Greece are organizing and arming themselves to counter any radical turn of events. The army, nationalists and semi-fascist groups may conspire to take over the power forcibly, taking advantage of the confusion created by Syriza government and absence of a revolutionary leadership of working class.

In any case, Syriza and the government under it, sandwiched between the revolution and counter-revolution, is on the verge of disintegration. Sooner than later, it is bound to fall apart. The breakdown, however, would result either in a fascist dictatorship or a radical shot that may trigger a revolutionary wave across Europe.  

The European and international working class has an imminent challenge ahead to reject the fake lefties like Syriza, Podemos, Green lefts etc. break all relations with these betrayers and turn to perspectives of Bolshevism that led to the October conquest in 1917. Conditions in Greece are ripe for a revolutionary stride forward. The working class must open a determined offensive through creation of workers’ councils and arming them to carry out the revolutionary offensive.