Tsipras has returned to the political spotlight, and with him have returned memories of capital controls and the divisive referendum of 2015.
Images of uncertainty, economic insecurity, and hardship—much like those that accompanied the… triumphant celebrations of SYRIZA in 2015 and the rise of populism and endless promises of Tsipras, are being revived at the first sign of recognition from the newly formed (on paper) Greek Left Coalition.
A thriller… revisited
It was past midnight on June 27, 2015, following a marathon meeting of the Council of Ministers, when Alexis Tsipras announced the infamous referendum. On June 30, 2015, Greece failed to pay the 1.6 billion euro installment it owed to the International Monetary Fund, as part of the loan support program it had received; it was removed from the program and joined the club of countries with overdue debts to the IMF and under increased surveillance. Tsipras shut down the Greek economy, ostensibly to protect against high prices, and plunged Greece and the Greek people into a historic nightmare.
Capital controls, endless lines outside banks and elderly people fainting, households held hostage, and yet another unbearable bailout agreement. It was that journey down… the road lined with poplars that Tsipras chose to lead the country down, with all its illusions, big and small.
And while the international community was concerned and issuing warnings, the then… proud Greek government was celebrating. The U.S. and Europe were on constant alert and closely monitoring the situation of near-collapse in which our country had found itself.
The generous promises of 2015 were not only never fulfilled, but were overturned in a way that was painful for the Greeks. More or less the same list—certainly in the same spirit—as today’s announcements by Tsipras and other ELAS officials. The man who has been defeated twice at the polls, supposedly… undaunted, returns to the central political stage with the same narrative and the same rhetoric.
Tsipras and his new political entourage are once again—in words—attacking the system, shouting slogans against corruption and in favor of integrity, and easily spouting vague promises about social protection, support for workers, fair growth, wages, housing, and affordability. These are the same policies they proclaimed—and, unfortunately, implemented—in Greece during the years of the crisis. It’s as if time froze in 2015.
The ELAS party will present a costed plan to tax “great wealth,” promised the party’s press spokesperson, Theoni Koufonikolakou, going against the record of… former Prime Minister Tsipras, who in 2015 did not tax shipowners because, allegedly, the creditors were demanding higher tax burdens on the middle class.
Following Koufonikolakou’s lead is Haris Athanasiadis, who strongly advocated for taxing “ultra-luxurious lifestyles,” explaining that he was referring to… those who own and drive fast cars and recreational boats. In the same vein, Saoulidis proposed taxing 1,500 tax identification numbers, which would yield 4 billion euros to the state, and Nifoudis, who wanted nothing to do with the old Tsipras because he was “the most unparalleled liar in history.”
It is almost certain that they will promise everything under the sun and commit to even more, but if they’re ever called upon to implement them, they’ll cite the… constraints dictated by the need to maintain fiscal stability… Koufonikolakou let the secret slip… When asked to confirm the 500-euro raises that Tsipras himself had previously announced for doctors and nurses, she replied “We’ll see about that,” depending on what they find in the coffers if they take over the government. And yet its president had been generously handing out 6 billion euros in his statements.
An identical tactic to that of 2015. Moreover, Alexis Tsipras himself defends that period, and through “Ithaki” he called for reopening the debate on what happened back then, remaining unrepentant. Intense polarization, high expectations, an obsession with corruption issues, and aggression toward “the system.” The only thing he won’t promise is a break with Europe—unless he has parroted the narrative so much that he becomes completely trapped in the narrative of the past.
Lack of trust
The greatest threat to Tsipras and the Elasites is the crisis of confidence. The failure to meet expectations in 2015 will forever haunt the once-feared child of the Left. Citizens today have fresh memories and are unlikely to fall into the same trap.
He presents himself and defines himself as honest. However, he seems to measure his integrity by… flexible standards. As was the case with the interpretation and implementation of the decision made by the majority of citizens in the referendum, with the second elections in September 2015, and the painful agreement with the creditors. Just as it did when he claimed not to know about the 104 deaths in Mati, during that poorly staged theatrical performance of the so-called emergency government meeting broadcast live on public television. Just like the “deals” with Artemios and the vacations on the yachts of his wealthy friends…
And he always makes sure to keep that… “honest” sentiment alive and to set the stage for drama. Just like back then, during the days of the divisive referendum, when he appealed to the Greeks: “We must not commit suicide because we fear death.” On the night of July 12–13, 2015, after a marathon of negotiations in Brussels, Alexis Tsipras agreed to the third bailout deal and forgot all about his heroic rhetoric regarding… an honorable death.
In 2026, Tsipras returns with the Hellenic Police, and acknowledges only one misstep during the period of the country’s economic strangulation. “We should have shut down the banks ourselves, the day after the elections. And we shouldn’t have let them blackmail us….” This digression in his speech, however, seems sincere.
