National Unity government to be formed in Greece / Greek General Elections

[antiestablishmentarian]

This is very interesting. Normally such governments are formed when the very survival of the establishment and ruling class is in danger. The only step left to ram through austerity is either a military coup and government or a neo-fascist dictatorship. This is a real sign that Greece is now in a full-blown revolutionary situation.

Greek prime minister George Papandreou bowed to cabinet rebels and agreed to step down and make way for a negotiated coalition government if his Socialists back him in a confidence vote today, government sources said.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/...breaking5.html

[unspecific]

Just wondering, did you read this article by prominent Greek lefty, Costas Douzinas?

http://greekleftreview.wordpress.com...on-papandreou/

It is the responsibility of the radical opposition to start planning the post-memorandum politics of the country.

I'm not sure exactly what he means by that. Sounds a bit like a call to alternative institutions/dualism to me. If so - the revolutionary moment has arrived?

[antiestablishmentarian]

I think it has. The current government is unable to control the country, so it's unlikely a coalition government will be able to either. It seems that they envisage at the very least a default and withdrawal from the Troika deal and EU, so that in itself obliges the left to look to the likely future politics of the country and plan and formulate programme accordingly.

[unspecific]

Apparently the KKE and PAME are the biggest opposition remaining. I think they are equal to the anticapitalists and the anarchists combined. Do Stalinists believe in alternative institutions? They just lost a person defending parliament...

[C. Flower]

Just wondering, did you read this article by prominent Greek lefty, Costas Douzinas?

http://greekleftreview.wordpress.com...on-papandreou/

I'm not sure exactly what he means by that. Sounds a bit like a call to alternative institutions/dualism to me. If so - the revolutionary moment has arrived?

I'm not sure what he means, but it is what people need to be doing everywhere. Working out how to maintain energy supplies, food, housing, health services etc.

[C. Flower]

This is very interesting. Normally such governments are formed when the very survival of the establishment and ruling class is in danger. The only step left to ram through austerity is either a military coup and government or a neo-fascist dictatorship. This is a real sign that Greece is now in a full-blown revolutionary situation.



http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/...breaking5.html

The question now is who is going to rule: power has effectively shifted out of Greek hands. One section of the Greek population (with the police and army on side) will ally itself with "the EU/IMF" and another against it. It is being fought out between the two sides. The latter group will need support across Europe, too.

I heard someone say today that the Government isn't functioning - Ministers have been locked out of their offices for weeks.

[Captain Con O'Sullivan]

Alternatively one could say that the Government Ministers have been locked out of their offices for weeks- life fails to grind to a halt...

[Sam Lord]

It is being fought out between the two sides. The latter group will need support across Europe, too.

They will get little support from across Europe from what I can see. Nowhere else is the EU being fought. There are no significant demands being put forward in any other countries for withdrawal and the break up of the EU.

In Ireland this site is probably as left wing and radical in terms of general contributions as it gets. Yet when I have raised the issue of the EU in the past I have been consistently assured that [1] Ireland could not possibly consider leaving the EU unless we had some sort of united socialist Europe as a replacement; [2] that the EU was generally a progressive thing and broke down reactionary national boundaries; [3] that calls to smash it up were simply echoing the views of right wing tories in Britain; and [4] It was impossible for Ireland to in any way go it on its own without the EU.

It would be great if people in Ireland were fighting the EU and demanding Irish withdrawal. Support could be provided by these to the Greeks. But the support of people who are saying .... Oh we really must stay in unless unless unless ... is really worth nothing.

[C. Flower]

They will get little support from across Europe from what I can see. Nowhere else is the EU being fought. There are no significant demands being put forward in any other countries for withdrawal and the break up of the EU.

In Ireland this site is probably as left wing and radical in terms of general contributions as it gets. Yet when I have raised the issue of the EU in the past I have been consistently assured that [1] Ireland could not possibly consider leaving the EU unless we had some sort of united socialist Europe as a replacement; [2] that the EU was generally a progressive thing and broke down reactionary national boundaries; [3] that calls to smash it up were simply echoing the views of right wing tories in Britain; and [4] It was impossible for Ireland to in any way go it on its own without the EU.

It would be great if people in Ireland were fighting the EU and demanding Irish withdrawal. Support could be provided by these to the Greeks. But the support of people who are saying .... Oh we really must stay in unless unless unless ... is really worth nothing.

Well, you didn't get that answer from me. I'm completely in favour of closing down all the existing EU institutions.

[antiestablishmentarian]

Well, you didn't get that answer from me.

Or me, I think both Ireland and Greece should withdraw and form a PIIGS union with the other three PIIGS. On the subject of Greece leaving the Euro/EU, if they did go I think we'd be the next ones out the door with the Portuguese, then the whole thing would probably unravel with disastrous consequences for the pan-EU economy.

[disability student]

Alternatively one could say that the Government Ministers have been locked out of their offices for weeks- life fails to grind to a halt...

It reminded me of the Vatican conclave where the cardinals were locked out for weeks after failing to elect a pope back in the middle ages. How primative at that time?

[Apjp]

It is very much straight out of the marxist textbook. You only need to look at North Africa to know how quickly revolutions that are suppressed become violent uprisings. If force is necessary in future on the part of the Greek protesters, things will get very interesting. We have yet to see a socialist revolution without armed conflict as far as I am aware. And for me, Greece seems most likely out of the EU countries, to have a socialist revolution. Whether Ireland and Portugal follow next in line will be seen. If I had to guess I would say recent and current events in Italy could provide a dark horse in that regard.

[C. Flower]

unelected "technical government" = dictatorship

[fluffybiscuits]

It is very much straight out of the marxist textbook. You only need to look at North Africa to know how quickly revolutions that are suppressed become violent uprisings. If force is necessary in future on the part of the Greek protesters, things will get very interesting. We have yet to see a socialist revolution without armed conflict as far as I am aware. And for me, Greece seems most likely out of the EU countries, to have a socialist revolution. Whether Ireland and Portugal follow next in line will be seen. If I had to guess I would say recent and current events in Italy could provide a dark horse in that regard.

The country is just simmering with tension, it can be seen from the internet message boards and the blogs, the people are only just short of baying for blood and who can blame them? How the revolution happens should be interesting.

[C. Flower]

The country is just simmering with tension, it can be seen from the internet message boards and the blogs, the people are only just short of baying for blood and who can blame them? How the revolution happens should be interesting.

There is also the very real question of how to keep the population fed. It looks as that if the people don't act to protect themselves there will be a government of bankers backed by the army, doing whatever Germany tells them to.

I don't see the Greek working classes accepting that too easily.