Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said on Thursday he will call for an emergency referendum within SYRIZA, which is split over a bailout agreement that demands austerity reforms.
“I propose to the Central Committee to hold an emergency congress to discuss being in power as leftists and what our strategy should be in the face of the bailout conditions,” he said.
Referring to the day he agreed to the conditions of the latest bailout, Tsipras said: “There are those who have another view, which is respected, who don’t accept the government’s decision and believe there was an alternative route available in the early morning hours of July 13. If this is the case….then I suggest the party holds a referendum on this crucial question.”
“We were forced to make difficult decisions,” the Prime Minister said. “We had to choose between painful compromise and disorderly bankruptcy,” he added, explaining his decision to agree to a third program of harsh austerity measures that has splintered SYRIZA’s ranks and split its parliamentary group.
Tsipras also stressed that the division within the parliamentary group must end, saying that the government cannot continue to exploit the votes of the opposition to sustain an “irrational dualism” within its ranks.
“The first leftist government in Europe after World War II is either supported by its leftist MPs or it is not supported — because it supposedly has stopped being leftist — and falls,” Tsipras said.
Tsipras proposed either an emergency party congress in September, once the agreement with Greece’s creditors has been signed, or else a referendum, open to all SYRIZA members, on Sunday that would allow the party’s grass roots base to decide.
Noting that the government had pushed negotiations to the brink, he once again challenged those who believe the blackmail against Greece was false and that the country must immediately disengage from talks with creditors, that they should come forward and explain their alternative plan and how it would be sustainable.
“I propose that, whatever the collective decision of our party might be, that we agree we cannot continue like this,” Tsipras said. “We must make a commitment that the decisions of the majority… will be respected.”
Tsipras said the strategic question that must be answered is whether, after signing the agreement, the government can continue to fulfil its election pledges. “My answer is that the battle will be tough and constant. The country continues to be under conditions where a major part of its sovereignty is suspended. It will be a difficult battle that will depend on the course of the economy and the issue of debt, which is linked to imposed supervision,” he said.
Even though the program includes harsh measures, it would be equally wrong to overly dramatize the situation, Tsipras said, pointing to the lower primary surpluses and the fact that the need for debt restructuring is now generally admitted.
“We are no longer talking about whether there will be a restructuring but we are discussing about its size and depth, and whether it will solve the problem of excessive debt,” he pointed out.
The government also had some leeway to propose equivalent measures, Tsipras added and now the Left has to decide whether it will play a pivotal role or not.
“To this strategic question, I believe we must answer positively,” he said, adding that there is no way to “magically escape” from the negative balances of power currently prevailing in Europe.
“We have no right to abandon and leave unprotected the people who trusted us and stand by our side, the people who give us the courage to continue and have chosen us to clash with the established interests,” Tsipras said.
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