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Victoria Mindova

Greece is again facing elections and polls show that the fight will be mainly between New Democracy and SYRIZA. However, none of the parties is expected to win the majority vote of the Greek citizens, which will undoubtedly put again on the agenda the issue of cooperation between political forces after 17 June. Smaller parties, without which it would not be possible to form a government, will play a crucial role in determining which road Greece will take. Many analysts note that Fotis Kouvelis’ Democratic Left will play a significant role in forming the government. The representative of the democratic left and a candidate from the region of Pieria Notis Ananiadis spoke to GRReporter to give the general outlines of the programme of the party.
 
In its campaign, the Democratic Left said it wanted Greece to remain in the euro area but to withdraw the country from the Memorandum for financial assistance too. What is the difference with SYRIZA in this regard?

The main difference is how we will withdraw the country from the Memorandum. SYRIZA supports the cancellation of the bailout agreement and the terms for its implementation. This means that the moment we announce its cancellation, Greece will return to the drachma the next morning. We say that we should unite with Europe, which is changing and is opposing austerity measures and cuts. This is t Europe of Hollande, of the Social Democrats and the Left forces willing to liberate the people from these constantly tightening austerity measures.

Therefore, we say that we respect the obligations the country has taken, but we want to enter into negotiations that will allow us to pursue a less stringent policy until 2018. Cuts and permanent economic recession cannot allow the state to pay its debts after two years. We want to renegotiate the Memorandum in order to ensure the future of Greece in the euro area, which is our absolute goal, but within a different economic programme.

You say that if SYRIZA becomes the first political force tomorrow it will cancel the Memorandum thus taking Greece outside the eurozone. Do you think that a party pretending to be pro-European does not understand the danger? Why does it insist on cancelling the bailout agreement if this will lead to a catastrophe?

You should ask SYRIZA, but I understand that you will not easily get a definite answer. There are people in SYRIZA insisting that Greece returns to the drachma. Party parliamentary representative Panagiotis Lafazanis has openly supported the drachma. In this party, there are other voices that are more moderate and that have opposed the unilateral actions of Athens. A third group have explained that they will offset the rejected funds with citizens' deposits in banks and the fourth group insists on imposing mandatory loans on people who have deposits of over 20 thousand euro. From this perspective, even SYRIZA’s representatives themselves cannot answer your question. Their policy is very dangerous and it will really take us to a disaster called drachma.

What restrained you from taking part in a coalition government after the elections on 6 May?

The President of the Republic gave the mandate to form a government to the first three parties elected with the highest number of votes. SYRIZA used its mandate to meet with social organizations and trade unions that have no weight in the decision of forming a government. We did what we could with the 6.11% given to us by the Greek people. We went to SYRIZA to offer them our support. We stated to Alexis Tsipras that we would support and take part in a modern centre-left government that would slowly and gradually begin to withdraw Greece from the Memorandum. However, he had other plans. Tsipras had assessed that new elections could make SYRIZA the first party. When the idea of a government of leftist forces failed, we did everything possible to support a coalition government involving the four largest parties. Today we are again preparing for elections because SYRIZA choose to put its narrow partisan interests before those of the people.

Are you ready to collaborate with SYRIZA after 17 June?

We are ready, of course. Furthermore, I would like to say that the Democratic left in no case would allow a third round of elections in Greece. We are ready to collaborate with SYRIZA as well as with PASOK. We fulfilled our obligations after the first elections and we will meet them again. It depends on whether SYRIZA will take its responsibility or will again throw away its chance.

Beyond your position that Greece should be gradually released from its obligations under the Memorandum of financial aid, what are the proposals of the Democratic Left for economic growth?

First, the law, which has repealed the minimum wage and with it, has led to unprecedented low levels of the other wages in the private sector, has to be eradicated. We should revise the rules established recently in the labour market and make a full turn from the policy pursued so far, as it is decreasing  the wage levels in Greece to those in Bulgaria (I do not mean to insult you) without the same trend of decreasing prices. A country like Greece, where prices have reached monstrously high levels, cannot afford to further reduce pensions and salaries. Greece’ gross domestic product is based mainly on consumption, as you know. Now, people have no money, consumer habits have changed, turnover has decreased, recession is a downward spiral, shops and companies are failing, people are losing their jobs and things are getting worse. Therefore, the first task of the new government must be the restoration of minimum wages that were cut after the introduction of the Memorandum of financial assistance.

This is the social policy the Democratic Left would pursue if it took part in the next government. What is your programme for stimulating the productive forces in the country and for restoring the economic growth?

We insist on accelerating the procedures for the use of funds from the national framework for strategic development. They can help Greek enterprises to stabilize and develop. Unfortunately, the programme will end next year, and the funds used are less than 40%. You see how important it is to find a way to use these funds soon. Therefore, on the first day of taking up office, the new government must create all prerequisites for the easier use of the highest possible amount of European Union funds in order to complete advanced projects and to allow Greek enterprises to take a breath.

What are the views of the Democratic Left concerning the financial sector management? Should there be public participation in the management of banks or do you think that the support to financial institutions should not give the state a voting right in bank management?

There is the issue of bank recapitalization. It is necessary in order for the banks to obtain the capital that will feed them at favourable terms and offer it to the small business at lower interest rates. This will enable these companies to repay old debts at high interest rates and invest in development and expansion of jobs.

The most important thing is to understand how banks are taking their role in the economy. Over the past decade, banks have harvested huge profits. Bankers should recognize and assume their responsibilities in the economic life of Greece. The recapitalization of banks included in the PSI process allows the state to intervene and direct the banks to provide greater support to the real economy.

Unemployment is one of the most serious consequences of the long recession in Greece. What measures should be immediately taken to minimize this problem?

Unemployment is one of the nightmarish problems that has intensified after the start of the crisis. Official figures show that unemployment has reached 21% -22%. A large majority of people have been excluded from the labour market for years and one out of every two young people under the age of 30 is unemployed too. Therefore, if we do not restart the local economy, we will not be able to fight unemployment. We offer to first introduce measures that will encourage companies to hire young people. Lower social security and health insurance or tax incentives should be offered to anyone who hires young people, unemployed people in preretirement age or the long-term unemployed.

You are a candidate deputy in the second constituency of Piraeus. Do you think that cabotage for cruise ships should be cancelled in Greece?

Taboos in Greece should fall. Shipping is directly related to tourism and trade and we cannot afford to keep outdated beliefs and habits. Shipping is crucial for our country and we must remove all barriers hampering its development so that it can bring new flows of currency into the country.
 
Unemployment in the ranks of Greek sailors was zero, nonexistent in recent years. Protectionism, which would protect the employment rights of shipping workers, was not really protecting them all these years. There was not only lack of unemployment in the sector, but companies sought and noted the lack of certain categories of professionals. Transport fleet crews are different from those for tourist cruises. You understand how strange it is that we have some of the most beautiful sea coasts and islands in the world which are of interest to so many cruise companies, and so far, we have been unable to properly utilize them.

Foreign Policy magazine conducted a poll on how analysts, experts and politicians think NATO should change. Asked "If you had to kick one country out of NATO, which one would it be?" one third of respondents replied Greece. They stated as an argument the pending issue of the name of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and the controversial issues with Turkey. How would you comment on that?

I am not familiar with that particular poll, but the opinion of experts is not the opinion of states and nations. On the name issue, we believe that the time has come to find a name acceptable to both sides, which will determine the geographical location of our neighbour. Regarding Turkey, it is known that historically, we have had clashes at times, but we support the European perspective of Turkey's accession to the European Union. The open issues such as the sea shelf, the militarization of the Aegean islands, the illegal immigration through the border with Evros should be resolved through a dialogue with the European institutions. I do not understand why the economic crisis in a country should have such a severe impact on our participation in international organizations such as NATO. I think that the particular poll of that particular magazine is at the least ineffective.