“In the midst of geopolitical instability, the EU is unable to secure its geostrategic autonomy from the United States …” former Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras told Liberation in an interview.

“We have a difficult future ahead of us. During this period of extensive insecurity, wars and transformation of democracy, authoritarian regimes and hard -core leaders make their re -emergence. Their impact on the world and Europe itself will be devastating, “he says.

At the same time, the former prime minister also refers to the role of the Left, retrospectively on the events of 2015, the EU referendum and behavior under Schoeble against the leftist government in Greece.

In detail Alexis Tsipras’ interview with journalist Fabien Perrier:

You were born in July 1974, four days after the fall of the junta. You are a child of the Republic. How do you see the 50 years of the Hellenic Republic?

Greece has a peculiarity: after World War II, there was a civil war, at a time when in other European countries there was peace. Until 1967, Greece lived a democracy, which was characterized by the prosecution of the resistance, especially the Communists, who were declared illegal in the country. The dictatorship of the Colonels followed from 1967 to 1974 which fell from the impulse of the people, which was mobilized in two landmark events: the uprising of the Technical University in November 1973 and the tragedy in Cyprus in July 1974. of democracy in 1974, political freedoms were guaranteed and people could now live without the constant control of the police and without the suppression of their ideas. In addition, the Communist Party was legalized.
This democratic transition was only possible thanks to the popular demand for real democracy. Bears the footprint of the left. It was accompanied by a cultural rise under the influence of great leftist artists, such as Mikis Theodorakis, and a wave of popular participation and democratization in social and political life. But times change, as well as the action of powers in the political arena. The authoritarian regimes were previously imposed with the army and absolute censorship- today, authoritarian forces can impose their views by other means, such as media control and the Internet and the dissemination of Fake News …

Two parties, PASOK and the New Democracy, dominated the political scene for a long time. Also, mainly with three large families (Papandreou, Karamanlis, Mitsotakis …). Did this system contribute to the crisis in which Greece sank in 2010?
Something is strange in modern Greece, where these three families play a leading role in creating a customer regime! Of course, they are elected by the people. In any case, if Greece succeeded in its democratic transition, it failed in its economic growth. The country has failed to take advantage of the opportunities that were opened to launch a sustainable economic and social modernization, especially after its accession to the EU.

Its growth since 1974 was just 1.3% per year. In 1974, Portugal, Spain and Ireland had a much lower per capita income than Greece. Now they have overcome us. In the EU, only Bulgaria gets worse than Greece in many areas. In short, because of this culture of power in the hands of some families and the customer state, Greece has failed to create either sustainable modern infrastructure or a strong welfare state. This “model” contributed to the crisis.

During the crisis, you joined the left and won the parliamentary elections in January 2015. Did you feel any fear?

No, my feeling was the enormous historical responsibility in the face of the hope that was created, but also joy. After all, I think most Greeks felt the same. For the first time, the left of the country took over the left, which had sometimes given blood struggles. However, although SYRIZA was a hegemonic on the left, we did not unite her whole. The KKE never wanted to participate in the government, not even open a dialogue. On the contrary, he fought a real battle against SYRIZA. Imagine how different things would be if this popular party had a similar attitude to the Communists of France, Spain or Portugal, who participated in progressive governments …

When do you realize that Europeans are in war with your government?

Before we even elected, we knew it wouldn’t be easy. Greece had been disproportionate pressure from some dominant political forces in Europe. Some personalities, such as Wolfgang Schoeble, rejected responsibility in Greece, perhaps to hide their own responsibility for Europe’s economic course. Europe has not been in crisis because of Greece, but because of its banks. However, German public opinion was convinced that some lazy Greeks were responsible for the problem who lived above their potential. This suited the conservative forces of Germany, as was the IMF. For its part, Social Democracy was embarrassed. Some Social Democrats expressed their support for us, telling us that they were supporting us with all their hearts but could not say it publicly, because it would be equivalent to questioning their own political choices.

With your attitude, e.g. The fact that you didn’t wear a tie, did you not have the impression that you would turn the Brussels circles against you?

No, that was secondary! Some of the sovereign forces in Europe had absolutely no willingness to come up with an honest compromise with the left government of a country that was unable to pay its debt. Today we can see how Europe is dealing with the far -right governments completely differently than it has faced a left -wing government. Although we, SYRIZA in Greece or the Podemos in Spain, wanted to change Europe, we wanted to pursue a fairer economic and social policy, while the far -right wants to destroy it. Our Keynesian inspirational policy, which gives fiscal rooms to the states, was only later implemented during the pandemic crisis. If the recipes had been implemented, the effects of the debt crisis would have been significantly reduced, if not avoided. Some of our proposals have – unfortunately afterwards – adopted.

Given this correlation of forces, why deciding a referendum in June 2015?

Before the referendum, we sought an honest compromise. But it was impossible. Creditors required reforms and fiscal adjustments without offering either long -term funding or debt restructuring. In the government, SYRIZA had to meet the country’s fiscal obligations and carry out the reforms that the two previous governments had committed but had not implemented. The Samaritan government had “inherited” us twelve basic reforms, such as the pension, which was a prerequisite for Greece’s funding by its creditors. On the other hand, the creditors wanted to implement these reforms without, however, to cease to supervise the country.

Thus, we put into place a strategy aimed at dramatizing the crisis in order to cause an effective shock. This was the referendum strategy. Between the huge wave of Greece’s support and the prospect of being expelled from the eurozone the cradle of the Republic, Europe has faced two political problems. Thanks to this pressure, we have managed to draw up with the Commission a program that included difficult measures for which we paid for political costs, as well as three -year funding of the country and the prospect of debt restructuring and the management of the public property fund in Greece in Greece. . We thus managed to maintain the cohesion of Europe, our presence in the euro and, above all, to return to growth by protecting the weakest.

European leaders such as Francois Hollande and Angela Merkel congratulate you on their memoirs. Did these congratulations be late?

Our European partners have shown a constructive attitude towards Greece when we returned to growth. With Francois Hollande, who supported me during the crisis, we created the Summit of the European countries of the South. We have drawn up a series of bilateral agreements with France to strengthen the Greek economy, attracting investors.

With Angela Merkel we faced the refugee crisis. Their congratulations have been public for a long time … but public opinion has been mainly shaped by those who built the front against SYRIZA. The story is written by the winners. But who put Greece in the crisis and who took it? These are undoubtedly events.

Only SYRIZA loses the 2019 and 2023 elections …

Yes, but it holds 32% of its vote in 2019. Then, the Mitsotakis government benefited from the results of the policies followed by the SYRIZA government and the billions it received during the pandemic. However, this government also resorted to practices that call into question democracy and the rule of law. He managed to create a dynamic front against SYRIZA. In 2023, with 18%, electoral loss was more serious. However, SYRIZA scored better results than the rest of the left in Europe. Even by the Social Democrats in several countries.

Therefore, we must not only consider the evolution of the Greek left, but the evolution of Europe as a whole, where the Left and the Progressive and Democratic forces have unfortunately made a big step back. We are witnesses of a conservative turn. An anti -systemic stream scans the world, as evidenced by Trump’s election and Lepen’s rise … The traditional right, for its part, adopts far -right rhetoric, especially on critical issues such as immigration.

How do you see Europe’s evolution?

In the midst of geopolitical instability, the EU is unable to secure its geostrategic autonomy from the United States. He is experiencing wounds, both economically and politically as Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. But there can be no prospect of peace, security and stability in Europe if Russia is excluded from dialogue. The European industry is in the vise between China and the United States that want to impose customs duties. We are in a dystopia. For example: The President of the United States expresses his desire to invade Canada or Greenland, but no one reacts! Everyone reacted, and justified, when Putin entered Ukraine …

We have a difficult future ahead of us. During this period of extensive insecurity, wars and transformation of democracy, authoritarian regimes and hard -core leaders make their re -emergence. Their impact on the world and in Europe itself will be devastating.

The left must be taught by the story. In 2015, in Greece, it won by mobilizing the middle and poorer economic strata around a liberating, social vision. In the face of fear, he must display a racing message based on the values ​​of equality, freedom and justice. And that’s exactly what I’m trying to promote through the Institute I have founded.