Portugal’s Green party has welcomed the victory of the Syrisa party in the Greek elections on Sunday, especially the success of Syrisa's "no to austerity" platform.
The Greens commented today that this is the "opportune time for Portugal to require the renegotiation of its debt."
"At the ballot box the Greek people clearly expressed their rejection of austerity policies which have pushed thousands of Greeks into unemployment and poverty, policies promoted by those parties that have governed Greece in recent years and by the European Union and the International Monetary Fund," read a Green party statement today.
According to Portuagl's Greens, the win by the Greek leftist coalition party "also showed the refusal of a people to surrender to fear and EU blackmail, expressed by the hard core of Germany - Angela Merkel in particular."
"'The Greens will follow closely the implications of the election results in Greece and are confident that this might be the first stone in building the hope of those EU people subject to the policies that promote austerity, destroy and subjugate social systems and the political will of the people," read the text that emphasised the opportunity for Portugal to renegotiate its own Troika debt.
In Greece, the party led by Alexis Tsipras won a clear victory, with 36.34% of the vote, electing 149 deputies. This was just two seats from the 151 needed for an absolute majority.
The ruling conservative New Democracy party won 27.81% of the vote giving it an embarassing 76 seats.
Portugal's government line has been to offer polite welcome to the new Greek prime minister and an insistence that Greece is Greece and Portugal is Portugal, that Portugal technically ended its Troika funding deal last March and that Greece is still in the middle of its bail out process and should aim to stay in the Union.
This may be impossible as Tsipras was elected on an anti-austerity ticket and now faces tough negotiations if he is to retain the credibility of the electorate as well as Greece's place at the EU table.
Comments
Why must these irresponsible lenders get their money back? These are the same wealthy parties responsible for the global economy crashing, the same ones who had to be handed trillions of public money in bail outs. And now they want their loans repaid too, never mind the crippling effect on whole societies?
It's the usual story of the rich elite, who have nearly all the money already, wanting even more, bleeding the population dry and laying waste to the planet as they go.
There are abundant examples available over the decades of what should be happening. Ideas to try. Different approaches. In the developed states.
But take the EU weakest link that is Portugal. PORTUGAL IS FOR THE PORTUGUESE ! Not the slightest awareness that Portugal actually signed up for an economic Union.
On the expat help webspages you can read over the years so many hopefuls announcing their arrival and intentions of running a business. Then a petering out with evermore confused messages describing yet more obstruction. Then silence.
Yet, adding to this lunacy none of the Portuguese patrolling these sites 'offering helpful advice' - ever warns the EU foreigner to get the hell out of here ! Keep your money safe. You are at least a century too early.
Why do we in Portugal (or in Britain for that matter) not have a credible leftist alternative?
This has to be vigorously opposed by anyone who can tie his or her shoelaces unaided.
It is quite idiotic for the EU to be helping a country that openly teaches anti-Europe ideology to its schoolchildren.
Read today's Portuguese school history books and you will clearly see this country has never had a place at all in the EU. Several major EU countries are actually named 'and shamed' as being against Portugal's interests over the centuries.
True enough the Portuguese have wasted 30 years in failing totally to integrate other EU nationals into its economy. Just stand on any street corner and look for foreign businesses!!!
Any you see are either bunging to stay open illegally or are bunging AND have Portuguese landlords or business partners.
Portugal must pay its debts - any extension just adding to the amount they must pay back.