Greek Election Wins Putin a New Friend in Europe
Greece's new ruling party says it wants to increase ties with Russia
This article originally appeared in The Moscow Times
The landmark victory of radical leftist party Syriza in Greece's general election Sunday signals the country will strive to increase its ties with the Russian government, but will likely be unsuccessful in any attempts to sway European Union policies on Russia, political analysts said Monday.
Syriza, also known as the Coalition of the Radical Left, had 36.34 percent of the vote after the final ballots were tallied Monday. With an anti-austerity platform and a pledge to remain in the euro zone, the party — which has formed an unlikely coalition with the right-wing Independent Greeks party in order to gain an overall majority — has been a staunch opponent of EU sanctions imposed on Russia over its annexation of Crimea and the ongoing fighting in Ukraine. While Syriza's affinities to Russia suggest President Vladimir Putin could have secured a loyal ally in a generally hostile Europe, Greece's fragile position within the EU makes it an improbable pro-Russian crusader.
"I doubt Greece will have enough weight in the EU to have a substantial impact on its policy toward Russia," Dimitris Papadimitriou, professor of politics at the University of Manchester, told The Moscow Times on Monday. "It will not want to risk a major confrontation with the EU over the imposition of sanctions against Russia. But it would not be surprising if the new government gets closer to Russia and looks to it for greater support."
Greece's new prime minister, Syriza leader Alexis Tsipras, established contact with Russia prior to being elected. Like other leaders of formerly fringe European political parties, Tsipras was received as a highly honored guest by the Kremlin. The leftist leader met with Russian officials in Moscow last May, including Valentina Matviyenko, chair of the Russian parliament's upper house who had served as Russia's ambassador to Greece in the late 1990s.
According to Greek media, Tsipras used the occasion to chastise the EU's policy on Ukraine, denounce European sanctions against Moscow and support separatist referendums in eastern Ukraine that the West said were illegitimate.
Greek objection to sanctions against Russia is in part motivated by the losses the country has suffered over Russia's subsequent ban on a range of food products from the European Union, according to Syriza officials. Kostas Isihos, the party's foreign policy boss, told government newspaper Rossiiskaya Gazeta on Monday that Greek farmers, whose exports to Russia include fruit and olive oil, had lost some 430 million euros because of the sanctions.
Common Interests
The terms used in Russia's anti-Europe rhetoric also seem to have infiltrated Tsipras' vocabulary.
"It is a regression for us to see fascism and neo-Nazis entering European governments again and for this to be accepted by the EU," Tsipras was quoted as saying in May by the state-run Athens News Agency, a few days after Putin claimed that militant nationalism of the kind "that once led to the appearance of the Nazi ideology" had raised its head in Europe.
Syriza's natural leaning toward Russia stems from its origins as an amalgamation of communist, socialist and other leftist forces, according to Papadimitriou. The party with which it has formed a coalition, the right-wing Independent Greeks, also supports Russia because of its own platform that calls for conservative social policies in line with Orthodox Christian teachings.
Putin warmly congratulated Tsipras on his victory Monday, expressing confidence "that Russia and Greece will continue to develop their traditionally constructive cooperation in all areas and will work together effectively to resolve current European and global problems," according to the Kremlin's website. Putin also referred to "current difficult conditions" and wished Tsipras success in working in them.
Despite their affinities, the prospect of immediate cooperation between the countries — political or economic — is slim given that both Athens and Moscow share a pressing problem: their struggling economies.
While Tsipras toils to renegotiate the terms of a 240 billion euro bailout deal with the European Commission, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund, Russia is grappling with double-digit inflation, slumping oil prices and the dramatic devaluation of its currency.
"If Russia didn't have its own economic crisis, it might be willing to financially support the new Greek government's anti-austerity measures," said Vasily Koltashov, head of the Institute of Globalization and Social Movements' economic research center. "It is unlikely that Greece views Russia as a useful partner right now. Chances are that they view Russia as a partner in [economic] trouble."
Friends in Europe
Russia has courted Europe's far-left and far-right political parties, which it views as platforms to influence European policy-making, according to political pundits.
The prospect of increasing Russian influence seeping into the EU became all the more probable when radical European parties made significant political gains during last May's European parliamentary elections.
France's far-right National Front topped the French poll with nearly 25 percent of the vote, earning 23 seats in the European Parliament. Syriza finished first in voting in Greece with 26 percent of ballots, securing six seats in the European legislature.
According to the Budapest-based Political Capital Institute, a policy research center, far-right parties in 15 out of 21 EU states have been vocal about their sympathies toward Russia.
"The [European] system is under pressure," Papadimitriou said. "Challenges to the system can come from the left or the right."
Other political parties at the extremes of Europe's political spectrum — also supportive of Russia — have applauded Syriza's victory.
National Front leader Marine Le Pen told France's RTL radio station that Syriza's win represented a "monstrous democratic slap in the face by the Greek people to the European Union."
"Syriza is the first anti-systemic, radical left party to come to power in Europe," Papadimitriou said. "I doubt it will be the last."
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Dear God, I close my eyes and all I can see is This: ;)
Lovely, this looks so healthy.
A reminder for all readers to re-visit last week's PAOWEB update by the GFL/SH......
http://www.paoweb.com/sn012715.htm
There are many new potential governments around the world, who seek to end austerity and the dictatorship of banks and their formerly grand cabal masters...And prepare for N.E.S.A.R.A. and G.E.S.A.R.A.
Noting the last paragraph of PAO, which hints at new governance, etc......
"Today, we continued our messages. Much is now ready to occur! You stand on the grand precipice created by Heaven. Be ready to leap into the new realm when Heaven gives the proper signals. The signs are prosperity, new governance and the return of your God-given sovereignty. Know, dear Ones, that the countless Supply and never-ending Prosperity of Heaven are indeed yours! So Be It! Selamat Gajun! Selamat Ja! (Sirian for Be One! and Be in Joy!)"
Now, following Greece, nations such as Spain, Portugal, Italy, France, Ireland and even Germany, will follow suit, at some stage and this will be the death knell of the NWO EU project...and forge ahead with the principle of sharing, by the 1%, with the 99%....A world in which debt is negated and waived, forever...
We ask that all watch this space and witness history in the making, as the PLAN is fulfilled...
If they're going to go with Russia, they can just go ahead and repay all those loans they've gotten from EU the last few years and then they can happily join the poverty club, which Russia is currently going to be the leader of due to their continous destabilisation operations they've got going all over europe. ;)
ACUTE OBSERVER: maybe Greece (AND THE U.S.A.) need to do what Iceland did and go tell the Ponzi scheme "creditors" of Europe to go take a hike. Putin sure did, and so did Switzerland.
Lol.. Iceland had to put more than a few people in jail to be able to do that..
If Greece can prove foul play like Iceland could and then jail those responsible, I'm sure they can get out of their troubles with credit and without having to revert to the old "Nationalism of Soviet Union" as they seem to be doing now. ;)
LOL. Iceland jailed a few bankers, but the real Rothschild wannabes in Iceland fled to England during the major bank failures of 2007 to 2008 in the UK and Iceland. These scumbags tried (unsuccessfully) to convince the British government (via Prime Minister Gordon Brown) that Iceland must be designated as the blame for these banking failures and that Iceland be declared a "terrorist nation" for questioning banking practices of the west. Sound familiar????
Brown's Icelandic blame game
Eirikur BergmannThursday 14 May 2009 05.00 EDT
Gordon Brown is at it again. It seems – for some mysterious reason – that every time he finds himself in trouble at home he attacks Iceland. During prime minister's questions in the House of Commons on 6 May, Brown said that the Icelandic authorities are responsible for the loss of the cancer charity at Christie's in Manchester and claimed to be in discussion with the IMF on how Iceland can "repay the losses they are responsible for". Brown went on to wash his hands of the matter and repeatedly said: "The fact is we are not the regulatory authority".
It might be interesting for UK voters to know that the PM's statements are completely false. Let's look at some facts: Christie's business was with Kaupthing Singer & Friedlander (KSF), a UK-based bank that was regulated by the FSA and therefore covered by the UK depositor protection scheme. This is, for example, clearly stated in the Treasury committee report published last month.
This is not the first time Brown's government has given false statements about its relationship with Iceland. On the morning of 8 October, following a conversation with the Icelandic finance minister, Alistair Darling found himself in trouble during an interview with John Humphrys during Radio 4's Today programme and said: "The Icelandic government have told me, believe it or not, have told me yesterday they have no intention of honouring their obligations there." As is stated in the Treasury committee report, the transcript of the conversation shows that Darling's testimony was also wrong.
Later on that dark October day Gordon Brown said to the world media that Iceland was virtually bankrupt, which was not true. Then he invoked the Anti-Terrorism Act (2001) to freeze all Icelandic assets in the UK. The shameful actions of Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling prompted the run on Kaupthing and subsequently the chancellor used the Banking Special Provisions Act (2008) to transfer most of KSF's retail deposits to the Dutch bank ING. Interestingly, at the same time, the UK government was virtually throwing money at other UK-based banks, some of them also under foreign ownership. Perhaps it was simply easier to bully Iceland than, let's say, Germany.
The Anti-Terrorism Act is still freezing Landsbanki's properties in the UK. The act is in clear violation of several international laws, including the European Economic Area agreement. It can therefore easily be argued that the Labour government has by default also taken over the bank's obligation in the UK – including payments out of the Icesave accounts. Why the Icelandic government has not used this obvious argument to transfer the responsibility on Brown's own shoulders is a mystery to most people in Iceland.
By killing off Kaupthing, the Labour government is to blame for the troubles Christie's is facing. Once again, it seems, Brown was trying to save his own political skin by attributing all blame to Iceland: now, for the troubles of the cancer charity in Manchester he himself is responsible for. From abroad at least, it looks quite remarkable that such a small politician can be the leader of Great Britain.
U.S. Government Preparing To Blame Russia For The Economic Collapse – Episode 576
Current News – 01.27.2015
Greece will not pay the entire debt back, its not possible. Central bankers using terrorism in on the new Greek government. Caterpillar sales implode. Housing market numbers revised lower to keep the illusion alive that housing is improving. Baltic Dry Index below 700. Iran joining the Eurasian Union. The wealthy 1% are ready for the collapse and they have planned their escape routes. Ukraine wants the Donetsk and Luhansk areas declared terrorists. Russians have been arrested and charged with spying on American financial system. The US is preparing to blame Russia for the economic collapse.
Somebody finally slapped EU in the face! Bravo for Greece!