“Europe must actively support peace and deal with inequalities if it wants to be strong,” stressed former Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, speaking at Eurojam 2024 and added: “opposition politics is not the answer to crises, the rise of the extreme right is not the metapolitics. To mobilize citizens for progressive policies that will improve their lives and fight the battle of values”.
In his speech, Mr. Tsipras said, among other things: “The fight for another Europe – which will be both strong and social – must continue. Not only because it is possible, but also because today it is more necessary than ever. In the field of democratic institutions, dealing with disinformation is not enough. We are faced with a whole network of far-right forces that reproduce ideas both outside and inside the parties of the traditional right. We must fight the battle of values. For tolerance and support of pluralism. For a fair immigration policy, based on respect for international law. For the rule of law”.
He also referred to the Greek affairs saying: “In Greece, we have seen what happens when the rule of law is undermined: with the biggest wiretapping scandal in Europe or the death of 600 refugees in the Pylos sea last year. As in Brussels with Qatargate, or when European officials are accused of corruption.”
The goal is to bring citizens closer to politics
Mr. Tsipras also referred to the crisis of political representation: “Every day we see citizens who have lost their trust in national and European politics move from abstention, to opposition politics, to the extreme right. We must make it clear that the answer is not opposition. Nor is post-politics focused on “going viral” rather than mobilizing citizens around progressive policies. Our goal should be to bring citizens closer to politics and politics closer to citizens.”
Developing his proposals he underlined: “Let’s proceed immediately with the changes we know we need today: First, by creating a permanent European tool for issuing common debt, to support public goods such as health, education, and research. Second, by increasing the EU’s own resources by effectively taxing wealth. Given that 10% of Europeans own 67% of European wealth. Third, we don’t just need a strong industrial policy that will benefit the already privileged regions of Europe, but a strong financial tool for regional industrial policy, with the aim of also addressing regional and social inequalities.”
Europe must be at the forefront of supporting peace
But he also referred to the crisis of the European Union: “We are experiencing two wars in our neighborhood and Europe is not playing any decisive role in ending them. Two wars that contribute more and more to a climate of insecurity, which paves the way for far-right policies and anti-Europeanism. A Europe that identifies with American priorities even when they are at the expense of its own interests, is a Europe without a future. Europe must be at the forefront of supporting peace, international law, as well as multilateral diplomacy, in a multipolar world. At the economic level, Europe’s business-as-usual logic must be ended. It is disastrous to wait until the next crisis to develop – after the crisis – the institutions we needed before it”.
He referred to his administration saying: “I am proud that as a government we fought for many of these and achieved some, under extremely difficult circumstances. We did not succeed in creating another Europe or another Greece. That’s why we have to keep fighting. Because this is a common struggle. Not only for governments, but also for the citizens and peoples of Europe.”
Finally, in relation to the upcoming European elections, he stated that “they are a turning point” and added: “Either they will take us forward, if the progressive forces are strengthened. Or they will take us back. The struggle for another Europe – one that is both strong and social – must continue. Not only because it is possible, but also because today it is more necessary than ever.”
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