Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Socialist Party) | Oireachtas source

Article 6 of the Treaty on European Union states: "The Union is founded on the principles of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms and the rule of law." The reality, as been demonstrated by the past five months of negotiations with the Greek Government, is that it is founded on the principles of debt slavery, dictatorship of the markets and the European Central Bank, denial of human rights and fundamental freedoms and the rule of profit for the 1% above all. The election of Syriza five months ago scared this Government, the bondholders, the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, and establishments right across Europe because it sent out the idea that there could be an alternative to austerity and that the rule of these people, which has been unchallenged by the so-called social democrats, could be challenged. The idea was that a movement could be built to achieve real change.

Since that time, the approach of all establishments across Europe has been to achieve one of two aims: either bring down the Greek Government and replace it with a more compliant one, or humiliate it and send a message that there is no alternative, reinforcing the Thatcherite dogma and stopping any further challenge from the periphery or anywhere else in Europe. From day one after the election, the Syriza Government was met with complete disrespect for the choice of the Greek people. Jean-Claude Juncker declared that there were no democratic choices possible outside the framework of European treaties, or outside the framework of neoliberalism and austerity. We know the European Central Bank has played a particularly ignominious role in this and we know that previously it was central in silent coups in Greece and Italy in which elected governments were replaced with governments of bankers for bankers. We know it has sent ransom notes to the Irish and Italian Governments, and we heard last week at the banking inquiry of the role it played in pushing Ireland to a bailout and denying the burning of bondholders.

The disgusting role played yesterday by the Minister for Finance, Deputy Noonan, is absolutely shameful. The denials are ridiculous, as he said something similar in public. He insisted on tightening the noose around the neck of the Greek economy, which is designed to force Greece into signing up to a bad deal. That goes with a campaign of propaganda and terror in the media, financial terror in the markets and a run on the banks. There is also a campaign of political terror.

It seems they may have had a result, and the deal that is now being discussed may represent a continuation of austerity, particularly through cuts to pensions, increases to VAT and no agreement on debt write-down. If that is the case, this just ties Greece to continuing in the role of Sisyphus, pushing a boulder of austerity up a hill only for it to fall down again. It will not offer a way out. There was a major protest in Dublin on Saturday in solidarity with the Greek people. I appeal to the Greek left and to left-wing MPs in Syriza and in the Greek Parliament not to back down and not to be blackmailed. People across Europe are standing with them. They want to see a fight back. Instead, they should prepare for a confrontation with the 1% in Europe, with the Merkels, with the Junckers. We must join together in a struggle for a real alternative to austerity and for a different Europe.

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