A progressive cooperation government with SYRIZA as its core, provided it is the first party – for moral and numerical reasons – will be a 4-year government that will provide stability, the president emphasized SYRIZA-PS, Alexis Tsipras, in discussion with journalist Dora Anagnostopouloswithin the framework of the two-day event Conference with Title: “Towards a Progressive Agenda for the Next Decade: Objectives – Priorities – Policies” organized by the Institute for Alternative Politics ENA.

He said that a cooperation government with the ND of Mr. Mitsotakis cannot be a sustainable government that will last for a long time because a basic condition for a sustainable long-term government is to have programmatic agreements and “what programmatic agreements can a party that is the core of neoliberal perception with parties that want to be called progressive?’

Asked to comment on statements by Mr. Mitsotakis that stable governments from one party but not only from one color are the most suitable and tested for our country, as well as if this is a call for transfers, Mr. Tsipras said that “it probably describes what we call rag-tag governments, i.e. to steal MPs from other parties”. “This cannot be a condition and condition for a sustainable long-term government” comment and continue: “The Mitsotakis government may have a long experience and tradition of defection, but this cannot be the future of the country.”

He emphasized that “the country needs a stable and long-term government and it can be given with the message of the necessary political change led by SYRIZA”, stating his belief that “it is more possible than ever for SYRIZA to be the first party in the simple proportional ballots”.

Tsipras

Asked for the attitude of PASOK-KINAL, Mr. Tsipras noted that he considers it of primary importance to talk “before the elections, especially after, about politics.” “Whoever puts the cart before the horse is doing an injustice to him as well, in this case Mr. Androulakis who I have not heard him talk about policies but about people. So his only problem in ND politics, in the possibility of co-governing with ND, is Mitsotakis? Not his politics?” he said. “I’m not saying”, comment, “Mr. Mitsotakis himself is a problem, but a bigger problem for the country is his policy, of privatizations, direct assignments, the discrediting of the welfare state…”. The president of SYRIZA said that “a progressive government is primarily coming to answer them – from then on we are obviously putting the horse before the cart, so the policies, the need to change policy”.

On the subject of persons, Mr. Tsipras noted that “the last time when the people didn’t choose the prime minister and others chose him, we didn’t have very good results.” “In democracies, it is good not to become backroom cameras that will decide on policies and persons, but that the judgment of the people is respected. So let’s let the Greek people speak at the ballot box.”

He emphasized that between the pre-election and post-election period the popular verdict intervenes, commenting that “it is perfectly reasonable for smaller parties not to open their cards about what they will do the next day”. However, he stated his certainty that “if SYRIZA becomes the first party, the scene will be completely different and those who have a rudimentary sense of self-preservation will not choose to refuse – if the possibility exists and it emerges from the numbers – participation in a government scheme, which can lead in second elections, where our experience has shown that their percentages will shrink”. “So I don’t pay any attention to the crowns that are heard before the elections, but the programmatic positions, where the country should go, are very important” he added.

He also noted that “if we seek political change, if we want and seek it to stop this 4 years that has set the country back in a lot, if we want another government and another prime minister besides Mr. Mitsotakis, it means that SYRIZA must win the elections”. “The one who can beat Mr. Mitsotakis is SYRIZA”, emphasized Mr. Tsipras, adding that “the victory of SYRIZA in the elections by simple proportionality is the key that will launch developments the very next day in order to have a government of progressive cooperation, long-term”. He also said that if the people decide that the ND and Mr. Mitsotakis should continue, it will objectively be an adventure for the country, because – as he said – “since he refuses the cooperation government, it means that we will constantly go to elections until he gets self-sufficiency.”