Addressing the members of the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Tuesday 11 September, the Greek Prime Minister, Alexis Tsipras, made the case for democratisation and a return to the founding values of the European Union, in the framework of a third model that he wishes to see challenge neo-liberalism and the far right.
In a speech that could be likened to a pre-campaign speech ahead of the European elections of May 2019, the leader of the Greek government stressed that all democratic and pro-European forces must rally on the same side of history.
The leader started by welcoming the fact that his country had come out of its third and final financial bailout plan (see EUROPE 12077) and is back on the road to growth, arguing that the government had succeeded in protecting the most vulnerable members of society. He also took pains to reassure his European partners, stressing Athens’ intention of not repeating the mistakes of the past.
Tsipras also referred to the EU’s contradictions in hosting refugees and managing migration flows, an area in which Greece has done all in its power.
Regretting the technocracy of the EU during the economic crisis, the Greek Prime Minister vaunted the benefits of an alternative model to neoliberalism and the far right. He called for democratic transformations and a new social contract.
Such a contract should, he argues, be translated into a reinforcement of democratic controls, particularly of the European Parliament, an economic model oriented to growth and ironing out inequalities, and a reform of the asylum law.
A range of reactions. Tsipras’ speech gave rise to warm reactions in the hemicycle. Although Valdis Dombrovskis, the Commissioner for the Euro and Social Dialogue, congratulated the Greek government and people on the efforts they made in the management of the migration flows, some of the MEPs had far less consensual comments to make.
Esteban González Pons (EPP, Spain) first of all recalled that Tsipras had awoken a degree of admiration on the part of populists and Europhobes in 2015, when he first entered the European Parliament (see EUROPE 11354). He also expressed concern at alleged cronyism in Greece and what could be seen as a return to populism in Tsipras’ address.
Udo Bullmann (S&D, Germany) criticised the austerity promoted by the EPP, before expressing determination to shape the European future, for instance through a greater role for social rights.
Guy Verhofstadt (ALDE, Belgium), regretted that not everything has changed in Greece, but welcomed the tone used by Tsipras fairly warmly. However, he flagged up the need to reform the Eurozone, so that it can ride out future crises. Ska Keller (Greens/EFA, Germany) also identified this as a need, stressing hopes of focusing EU policy on the welfare of citizens and the socio-ecological transformation.
Representatives of the Eurosceptic and Europhobic forces, such as Laura Agea (EFDD, Italy) and Marcel de Graaff (ENF, Netherlands), criticised the attitude of Tsipras’ government in the financial assistance plans.
North Macedonia. Finally, the agreement on North Macedonia was discussed (see EUROPE 12039). Although Notis Marias (ECR, Greece) unsurprisingly argued that Tsipras had completely given in to Zoran Zaev, the Prime Minister of what is now known as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Keller described it as a great success. (Original version in French by Lucas Tripoteau)