The president of SYRIZA – Progressive Alliance was in Rethymno today, Alexis Tsipras, as part of his tour in Crete. Mr. Tsipras spoke to citizens and delivered a short open speech.

Mr. Tsipras addressed an open call to all citizens to support the SYRIZA program against the looting plan of the ND in the crucial meeting of June 25. As Alexis Tsipras told the hundreds of gathered citizens of Rethymno, who gave him a warm welcome, “in the elections of June 25, two plans are competing: The plan of Mr. Mitsotakis and the ND which provides for subsidies to the profiteering cartels, but high indirect taxation and looting of citizens’ income, dismantling and abandonment of the NHS, 700,000 first home auctions and deprecation of the welfare state in favor of privatisation. And on the other hand, the plan of SYRIZA”.

That is why, as he underlined, “we are addressing all progressive citizens, who may have reservations, who may have disagreements with us, and we are telling them that if they do not want the next day an uncontrolled right that will attack social rights, the only power it is a vote for SYRIZA. Either to overturn – and we will fight to the last minute to overturn the result and correlation of May – or to have someone the next day looking them in the eye and preventing their plan to plunder the income.”

Al. Tsipras pointed out that SYRIZA is the only force he has alternative governance plan because “it was, is and will remain a party of power, and not a party of protest nor a party to supplement right-wing governments”.

“That’s why we say, the dilemma of the enhanced proportional ballot box is essentially one: Every vote, every progressive vote that doesn’t go to SYRIZA, objectively favors the ND plan. To be all-powerful and undisturbed. The only force that can overturn it is SYRIZA,” stressed Alexis Tsipras. The president of SYRIZA added that “SYRIZA is not a flare, it is a force to express the interests of the underprivileged Greeks, the interests and needs of Greek society and as long as society is faced with policies that threaten its interests, tomorrow , people’s lives, so there will be a critical need to be in front and fight”.

Alexis Tsipras emphasized that his move to run as a candidate in Rethymno, a city and a prefecture he loves very much, is “a highly symbolic move both for Rethymno and for Crete”. “We all understand that on May 21 we had a result that was not desired, a bad result. But in life, as well as in politics, you are allowed to fall, you must get up. We are standing here to fight the next day’s battle for our country” he underlined.

“Simple proportionality ultimately did not work in favor of progressive forces, but it did work in favor of the right. And this is because the same progressive forces – and they are responsible for this – when we shook hands with them, they looked at how they would cut off our hand and how they would wage a one-front fight against SYRIZA and not against Mitsotakis and the ruling ND. At this time, however, and under their own responsibility, we have a new electoral contest, which is a more critical contest because it is the final contest,” added the president of SYRIZA.

Referring then to the program of the ND, Mr. Tsipras underlined that “he has not included a single one of its promises in the medium term that he submitted to the European Commission. So it’s all up in the air” and he added that “the reality is that they plan in the next 4 years to reduce the expenditure on the salaries of civil servants by 730 million. To reduce primary public expenditure by 1.1 billion. They will not increase wages , as they say, to 1,500 euros in the private sector, but the actual increases in 4 years will be only 1.4%. This is the program they have apparently filed. And they also have a secret, for the dismantling of public health structures. Mr. Pneumatikos said it. Our hospitals will become private legal entities. And when there will be no resources, there will be a selection of patients. Those who have no life expectancy will go to their homes or to private hospitals. This is an inhumane and horrifying development and we must prevent it. Because not everything is profit and loss. We say that human life, dignity and solidarity are of greater value. This is the society we want. A fair society with prosperity for all”.

Continuing her attack on the SWMr. Tsipras noted that “the ND propaganda apparatus will do everything until the ballot box on June 25, not just to win the election. They have an issue. SYRIZA. Not to have an opponent the next day. This behavior does not indicate a faction that is comfortable. They reached the point of calling us Greeks of reduced national perception. Call us underdogs. Who; Us.

Where we ruled for four and a half years always putting patriotic duty first. They got to the point of telling us national exception. Who; Us. That when we were faced with great difficulties, we made difficult decisions with the only criterion being the country and the society. They are not going to stop at anything until they achieve their main goal: To direct the anti-right vote anywhere but SYRIZA, so that they can be undisturbed the next day.”

More specifically, Mr. Tsipras referred to the extortions of Ms. Bakoyannis on the Muslim minority of Thrace. “We saw Ms. Bakoyannis go to the Muslim minority in Thrace and tell them: ‘If you don’t vote ND, things will be very difficult for you.’ This message is not a message to the minority, it is a message to every social group. A message he wanted to go to every home and every citizen. Anyone who opposes the plans of their party and family power will have a hard time.

Today it may be the Muslim minority. Tomorrow it will be the doctors and nurses, civil servants, teachers” said Alexis Tsipras and emphasized: “We declare: We will stand up against their plan to intimidate and terrorize Greek society. We will stand up, a mound against fear, blackmail, intimidation. We will be a beacon of democracy and a force for the defense of democracy. Democracy is and will remain strong. And a strong SYRIZA is a guarantee for a strong society and a strong democracy”.

Closing his intervention, Mr. Tsipras underlined that “we are and will remain here. Not to be a complement to Mitsotakis’ plans. But to be the awe-inspiring rival of Mitsotakis and his politics. We will once again make the progressive faction, the ruling faction of the country with SYRIZA again in governance and with Crete again as a pioneer. Crete will become red again, progressive, democratic, sooner or later we will achieve it. At this time, however, we are going for the great upheaval of correlations. The ballot box will be empty on June 25. Until the last second, to overturn the associations, to fight for the defense of democracy and society”.