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

That is yet another threat from the Minister, the same threats that have come from the Eurogroup, the Commission President and the President of the European Parliament. The Greek Government was negotiating under pressure with a gun to its head. It was told that if it did not agree to the horrific austerity that will destroy the Greek people and economy, it would be out of the eurozone and they would bring down its banking system. Where was the Minister for Finance during the process? He, along with Wolfgang Schäuble, was screaming that they should pull the trigger and pull the support from the Greek banks. The demands put on the Greek Government are to destroy and devastate the Greek economy.

If Syriza votes for it as a whole, which the majority is likely to do, it will finish itself as a political force having sold out the people in terms of the basis on which they voted for it and that will bring an end to the government. I support those in the Greek Parliament who will vote “No”. I support those who will mobilise in the general strike to vote “No”, but let us be clear on the rotten role of the Government. This is not democracy. This is not a democratic European Union. Greece is not being treated as any sort of sovereign state. Europe has bullied Greece and more bullying is evident in the recent agreement which aims to humiliate and ensure no example exists of an alternative to austerity that could embarrass the Government or that of Prime Minister Rajoy in Spain, or that in Portugal or elsewhere.

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