When the banks were shut down for 20 days as a result of the “proud negotiations.”
On June 28, exactly 11 years ago, the sun had risen as usual shortly after 6 a.m.—just like today—except that the banks in the country were closed, and citizens are facing a unprecedented situation of uncertainty due to the actions of the government of Alexis Tsipras.
A few months earlier, on January 12, 2015 —that is, 13 days before the 2015 elections—Yanis Varoufakis stated that there was a greater chance that the sun would not rise than that the banks would close, a claim that ultimately proved untrue, since on the morning of that Monday, nothing in the country was the same.
The banks were shut down for 20 days, capital controls were imposed, and lines formed at ATMs to withdraw the 60 euros that had been set as the limit, a result of “proud negotiation” of the former prime minister and his “creative ambiguity”—as he himself put it—regarding assets, although we recently learned that he himself regretted not closing the banks when he took office as prime minister the day after the elections.
On June 27, 2015 Alexis Tsipras announced his decision to hold a referendum to decide—as he and his government claimed– the people would decide on a question that, in essence, did not exist, since the agreement had already been withdrawn by the creditors—that is, the troika, or, as SYRIZA-ANEL refers to them, “institutions.”
The July 5 referendum marked the beginning of a third, unnecessary, memorandum that cost 100 billion euros and imposed unbearable conditions on the country’s citizens, the middle class, wage earners, and retirees, who saw 29 taxes imposed or increased, pensions and wages cut, but above all, they realized that all the pre-election promises—starting with the Thessaloniki Program—came to nothing in the face of the reality at the time.
And why are we mentioning all this? Because it’s important not to forget what happened and, above all, how it happened. Because those who make promises easily find it hard to keep them, and above all, because there are no magic solutions, no magic wands, and no genie lamps that grant wishes.
If anyone believes that there is a prime minister—or indeed a government as a whole—that does not want to give and receive praise and applause, they are mistaken. The question is whether a politician should aim to be temporarily popular or useful in the long term. And, of course, whether they leave behind a shattered economy and debt or a growing economy with new jobs by investing in social cohesion.
In 2015, before the elections, the money was supposed to come from cracking down on corruption, smuggling, and taxing the wealthy. Today, we hear that the money will come from justice and (their) integrity.
For now, the funds needed to boost incomes and promote social cohesion come from sound management and, above all, from growth and investments that create new jobs, raise both the minimum wage and the average wage.
Yes, there is the issue of inflation, and that is where the government must focus by taking all necessary measures. That is one thing; “magic solutions” are another; and above all, divisive rhetoric that readily identifies… barbarians as enemies is yet another.
