“It does not bother me to capture the different approaches more clearly, because that also creates the terms of the composition. I am bothered by the different approaches … “stressed the parliamentary representative of SYRIZA – Progressive Alliance, Panos Skourletis, speaking at the First Program, in view of the 3rd Congress of the party that starts on Thursday, April 14 and will last until Sunday, April 17.
“Immediately after the loss of governance we had to sit down to discuss in a more detailed way and draw conclusions about the period of our own governance. To tell the world ‘there we made a mistake, there we succeeded’. This did not happen and in politics some things have to be done at the right time. We should have talked more in depth. “We were afraid of it collectively and it cost us,” he admitted.
In addition, he pointed out that “the credibility of SYRIZA and its proposals will not be judged, if Alexis Tsipras -which as everything shows will be the only candidate- re-elected president by the congress, or by universal suffrage by party members “.
“In other words, I consider it important that he is elected and that the trust in his face is reflected once again. “Whether it will be done in one way or another is something that will create some impressions, but these will be of a very small scope,” he added.
Regarding the discussion that has taken place regarding the way of electing a chairman and members of the Central Committee, he said that it is something that will be decided by the conference, it is one of the questions, noting that the way of election – without wanting to underestimate him, as he said – is not the major.
“The most essential thing that parties must do, at least those that have a different relationship with politics, is to find a daily way of functioning, in order to give content and speech to its members. This is the problem. We find the logic of the assignment in the other parties as well, that is, if the role of the member of a party in voting once every 2 or 3 years is exhausted, and “this has nothing to do with a substantial participatory relationship with politics”.
Regarding them correlations in the Central Committeehe clarified that they will be judged based on the views of the party members, and “it is not a technical matter to change anything”.
“I have argued that a conference can not conclude its discussions, formulate the framework of guidelines for the next period and this should not be accompanied by the election of a Central Committee that should implement these guidelines. This is how it’s done. “Otherwise, the decoupling is a new thing that I do not know if it will be adopted in the right direction,” he added.
Polls – “It is necessary to expand our solvency”
Regarding the poll image of SYRIZA, he said that “today we have a government that is reluctantly retreating and a SYRIZA that is gaining something, but has not developed the momentum we would like and this is an object of discussion in the Congress as well.”
According to Mr. Skourletis, it is necessary “Regaining our solvency». “We should have been clearer, more coherent in our speech and more self-critical at times. We can do that, we have the political tools. “It is up to us to focus on these issues and make the conference a new beginning,” he said.
“I do not fully acknowledge that he has not received, but he has not received to the extent that it creates a clear dynamic for society. “It’s good to have deeper reflection on what we should have done in the last 3 years to be more productive for us,” he said.
«Τα inside SYRIZA they will have an interest in public opinion if they look to the “outside”, that is, if a discussion that takes place between party members in the context of an internal party process is an object that includes at its core the big problems we live in today.
That is, war, accuracy, energy crisis, pandemic, inequalities. All this – especially for a party of the Left – should be the main topic of discussion, not just with analyzes that are many and good, but with analyzes that lead to specific proposals, program commitments and a draft response. “This is the biggest proposal for our conference and it will be judged whether it will be productive”, the SYRIZA parliamentary representative underlined.
Asked if SYRIZA is entering a process “social democratization“, Mr. Skourletis, countered that this has been answered by the text-framework of the conference that has been accepted by a very large majority.
“SYRIZA is a party of the modern Left and not of the Center Left, it is a member of the European left family, it is not a formation that is identified with the concept of the Democratic Party. However, he wants with his proposals to be the backbone of the wider progressive space. That is, something that he achieved in practice from 2012 onwards. I think we have answered these. “If some people have something else in mind, let them tell us, but no such thing has been said,” he clarified.
Collaboration with KINAL
Regarding the possibility of cooperation with KINAL after the next elections, Mr. Skourletis reminded that the SYRIZA government instituted the simple proportional system and “we did it not only because we believe that this is the most fair electoral system”, but because “we understand that the implementation of simple analog means paving the way for co-operative governments. And for them to be reliable, sustainable and convincing in the world, they must be based on programmatic convergences. “
“So it would be an oxymoron not to propose those programmatic conditions that we consider necessary, to have a new left-wing progressive majority in the next elections which will be made with simple analog. “There we must give weight, call on the other forces of the left and progressive opposition to take a stand on the specific issues of the situation and how every political force understands that we must move to respond to the current crisis,” he said.
“The credibility of each of us will be judged there. so it is a given that SYRIZA submits such a proposal. “Let’s discuss its characteristics and see the response of the other political forces,” he added.
About whether there will be “on the other hand” responsethe SYRIZA MP said that he will not be at the same level by everyone “and not with the same thoughts and approaches”, clarifying that he is not talking only about KINAL, but also about the other opposition forces.
“The answers we want to give to the current government policy have some specific characteristics. That is, we see where the management of the pandemic led, for example. The government ends up saying after this terrible health crisis that I want for the public health system to follow the logic of PPPs, ie indirect or direct privatization. It is tragic, an extreme dogmatic neoliberalism.
The answer to this must not be half-hearted, but the answer must be investment in a strong public health system, to which everyone will have access. This is a priority. It means funds from the Recovery Fund to go to Health. It means an increase in the introductory salary of doctors and employees so that the most experienced do not leave abroad. “We want a response program in the SW with such anti-neoliberal characteristics,” he explained.
“When asked if they will respond, I would say that what time does not bring, time brings. The people’s vote will be catalytic – when it will form such correlations, that is, strengthened and first SYRIZA where it will be the catalyst just to have the perspective of this government of cooperation between left and progressive forces “, added Mr. Skourletis.
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