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SYRIZA's returning to reality is continuing after Friday's meeting of the Eurogroup, which made it clear that Greece would not receive funding if the government failed to implement deep reforms.
 
MEP Manolis Glezos, who is an emblematic figure of the left wing, criticised the previous actions of the cabinet and apologised to the people for having participated in the illusion that it had created. In an open letter to the Greek people, the 92-year-old politician states, "Renaming the supervisory Troika 'institutions', the memorandum 'agreement' and the lenders 'partners' does not change the previous state of things, as nothing changes if one renames meat 'flesh'.

The vote of the Greek people in the elections on 25 January 2015 does not change either. The people voted for what SYRIZA had promised, namely to abolish the regime of austerity that is the strategy of not only the oligarchy of Germany and other EU countries, lenders, but also of the Greek oligarchy.

"We will abolish the memorandum and the Troika, we will abolish all laws related to austerity. We will abolish the Troika and its consequences the day after the elections." It has been a month but the promises are not yet fulfilled. It is bad, too bad.

From my part, I would like to apologise to the Greek people for my participation in the creation of this illusion."

At the end of his letter, Glezos calls for action "before the evil spreads and before it is too late." His appeal is addressed to all members, sympathizers and supporters of SYRIZA. He urges them to hold extraordinary meetings of the organisations at all levels and to decide whether they accept the current developments in, and relating to, Greece.

The words of the politician, veteran, had provoked immediate reactions from the government. State Minister and adviser to Prime Minister Tsipras Alekos Flambouraris issued a message expressing his doubts on whether Manolis Glezos was familiar with the details of the agreement. "Europe is watching with relief the process of isolation of the extreme votes in favour of the policy of austerity in their attempt to prevent the conclusion of an agreement at the meeting of the Eurogroup. At the same time, over 80 percent of the Greek people support the negotiations. At a time when the difficult battle is in full swing, we expect party members with the experience and history of Manolis Glezos to make a fairer and sober assessment," he said.

In turn, Glezos’ colleague among SYRIZA MEPs and Vice-President of the European Parliament Dimitris Papadimoulis wrote on his personal Twitter account, "I love and respect Manolis Glezos but I disagree. At this point, he must be next to, and not against, the new government and Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras."

However, there were reactions in the opposite direction. Professor of political economy at the Polytechnic University in Athens Giannis Milios who is in charge of the economic programme of SYRIZA posted on his Twitter account again a link to the letter by Manolis Glezos, without any further comment.

MEP of the radical left Sofia Sakorafa wrote, "The people have authorised us to abolish the memorandum. We do not have the political legitimacy to do the opposite."

The communist current in SYRIZA defined the agreement reached at the Eurogroup meeting as obedience and called for a congress and for a change in the party leadership. It posted the text under the title "Agreement-obedience in favour of extortionists" on marxismos.com. The authors urge SYRIZA MPs not to vote in support of the agreement in parliament.