Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras admitted that his government could have been braver in deliberations with Greece’s international lenders that brought the austere bailout program.
Tsipras was interviewed for a documentary series called ‘#ThisIsACoup.’ The documentary is made by Theopi Skarlatos and the Greek PM is interviewed by Paul Mason, economics editor of Channel 4 News.
The documentary also includes interviews by outspoken former house speaker Zoe Konstantopoulou, eccentric former finance minister Yanis Varoufakis and his replacement, Euclid Tsakalotos.
Mason argues that the European Union forced Greece to accept a harsh bailout program using as a threat the economic destruction of the country if Athens decided to leave the Eurozone. He is commenting that there is a democracy deficit inside the EU.
Tsipras admitted that even though he could resist signing the bailout agreement, he finally backed down under the pressure. However, he said, if he didn’t sign the deal, then the Greek economy and the country would collapse.
“I think we lost time, and at the end we were out of force and out of money,” he said. “If we knew that we would have made more brave decisions at the beginning.”
“If I walked away this night, probably I would be a hero for one night, maybe for two, three but it would be a disaster for the next days and nights – not only for me but for the majority of the Greek people… So my heart and soul said ‘go,’ but my mind said that I had to find a solution.” Tsipras said.
However, Tsipras said, his final decision saved the Greek economy, and consequently Greece, from collapsing.
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