We don't ask for alms. We want everything for everyone. ---- As every
year, this year too, employees are invited to attend the Prime
Minister's announcements at the Opening of the Thessaloniki
International Fair. This now customary procedure consists of a speech by
the political head of state, in which "measures for the relief of the
weaker sections of society" are usually announced and promises of
"development and prosperity" are made. ---- According to what we have
read so far in the news media, the package of measures that Mitsotakis
is expected to announce on September 6th fully reflects the policy of
the New Democracy government so far: A few crumbs thrown to the people,
sprinkled with gold dust by the establishment media. Crumbs that have in
fact been extracted from our own economic bloodletting, through state
policies of austerity and class exploitation.
The narrative on which New Democracy has based its entire term in
government is now well-known and well-played: economic growth and
stability supplemented by the doctrine of "law and order" and a few
doses of moderate welfare so as not to exceed fiscal limits. We will see
this narrative unfold again in the prime minister's speech, in the midst
of New Democracy's attempt to use the TIF to restructure itself and
recover its poll ratings, in the wake of the social anger expressed in
recent months in the large demonstrations over Tempi, the recent
revelation of the OPEKEPE scandal and the social discontent that has
been shaped by the unbearable reality of poverty and impasses for the
large social majority.
The mobilization of measures - crumbs towards the economically weaker in
order for New Democracy to gain electoral value and change the negative
climate for it, was already evident last April, when, in its attempt to
change the agenda after the mobilizations for the state-capitalist crime
of Tempi, it rushed to prematurely announce some of the TIF benefits
that will be in effect from... November. These benefits, which will form
the core of TIF's announcements, such as the 250-euro payment to certain
low-income pensioners and vulnerable social groups, the return of rent,
constitute the confirmation of the rule for how state officials
distribute wealth. While the Greek economy exceeded its primary surplus
targets, which were inflated, as has happened before (e.g. SYRIZA's
famous cushion), by the plundering of income, pensions and social
benefits, only a small percentage (about 1/11) of this surplus is
returned to those who pulled the strings so that the rulers could boast
about "growth."
The success story of growth that New Democracy has built is being
demolished not only by the same unbearable everyday life that the vast
social majority lives, but also by their own numbers: the GDP of the
Greek state in 2024 in nominal terms remained lower than that of 2011,
the forecast for the percentage of public debt in relation to GDP for
2025 remains at the same levels as in 2010, while at the same time the
memorandum rules, such as primary surpluses, are still here, necessarily
leading New Democracy to a more restrained "offer of benefits", despite
its agonizing effort for recovery.
Of course, these economic figures will be hidden in the prime minister's
speech and an attempt will be made to highlight the "benefits of
development for the many", while in reality it is a development for the
benefit of the few: thus, while the prime minister will talk about the
drop in the ocean of the "social housing" program, on the other hand he
will boast about the increase in investments, a large part of which
comes from the boom in real estate and tourism capital that have a
leading role in the increase in rents and the housing crisis, while he
will talk about the goal of an anemic increase in the minimum wage with
a horizon of 2027, he will applaud the surplus income of state coffers
that come largely from the profiteering of precision that is destroying
the purchasing power of the lower social strata, while he will talk
about some imaginary improvement of the disbanded and understaffed
National Health Service, he will emphasize the necessity for paying 5%
of GDP in war spending and increasing the salaries of the military and
police.
On the other hand, the fragmented social democratic or center-left
opposition is unable to counter a government narrative, having fully
assimilated into its agenda the myth of the end of the crisis and the
exit from the memoranda, which Tsipras' SYRIZA inaugurated and
Mitsotakis continued with greater success. Thus, they lack an
oppositional narrative on the big picture of the economy as well as on
major social issues, since almost all of them participated in the
economic binge and the bloodletting of the social base in the midst of
the crisis. The "first time on the left" even bears enormous
responsibilities for the disappointment and futility within a large
portion of the grassroots, which led to its withdrawal from the
forefront of struggles in the last decade. Fascists of all kinds will
certainly try to take advantage of the current climate and the global
shift towards the far right, but it is up to us to stop them. We should
of course make it clear that, as anarchists, we do not believe that any
government, right or left, would ever legislate and act in favor of
those from below. In this authoritarian and oppressive system, the
political power in question, whatever color it may wear, exists to serve
the ruling class.
At the same time, as the government tries to convince us of the benefits
of growth and clashes with the opposition over who got us out of the
crisis, the reality for workers is particularly harsh. Accuracy is
skyrocketing, both in the supermarket and in energy bills. Rents have
skyrocketed, while people of our class are being thrown out onto the
streets by funds that buy up "red" mortgages in the new year. Wages,
mostly stuck at extremely low levels, are no longer enough to cover the
increased cost of living. The attack on the working class continues with
new anti-labor laws that make the basic wage hostage to the indicators
of capitalist "development", while at the same time, they essentially
impose the 13-hour workday, legalize the most flexible forms of
employment for the benefit of the bosses and want to cancel with a
single stroke the union struggles and the right to strike, with the
bogey of unemployment as a means of persuasion and discipline.
The dominant policy imposes the disintegration of public infrastructure
and the privatization of everything. Public health is suffering from
understaffing and higher education is increasingly opening up to private
individuals, with the recent vote on private universities. A victim of
this same policy and a more egregious example of its effects is the
railway network, where the combination of selling off part of its assets
to private individuals with its chronic state degradation and the lack
of even the most basic, necessary investments in infrastructure, brought
about the state-capitalist crime of Tempi and the murder of 57 of our
fellow human beings.
Of course, those who decide to resist the above-mentioned treaty are
called upon to face intensified repression. The attack on unions and the
right to strike is accompanied by new anti-terrorist laws for enemies of
the established order, with (pre)trial detention and convictions of
activists without evidence. On the other hand, the generalized impunity
observed towards members of political power and big Capital, despite the
stench of corruption and the scandals that constantly emerge in the
public sphere, show us in the best way how "independent" bourgeois
justice is.
We do not forget, of course, that this year's TIF is being held during
the period when the genocide of our time is being carried out in
Palestine by the Murderous State of Israel. Nor do we forget the role
that the Greek State has played in this affair, tied to the political
and economic interests of the Western imperialist bloc. At the same time
that the majority of society carries out and frames solidarity actions
with the Palestinian people, the Greek government continues to support,
among other things, Zionist investments in the country, in tourism,
industry, etc. And all this while it proceeds to continuously increase
the percentage of GDP allocated to armament programs and carries out a
cruel war on immigrants, both with the murders at the country's land and
water borders, and internally, with the new racist laws of the fascist
Minister Plevris.
Faced with the reality of poverty, job loss, repression and war imposed
on us by the state and capital, the only hope the working class has is
the collective path of organization and struggle. A struggle to
overthrow the system of oppression and exploitation, towards the
creation of a world that lives up to our needs and desires.
Although important struggles have taken place recently, which have
brought large segments of society to the streets, such as the
mobilizations against the state-capitalist crime of Tempi and the
anti-war movement against the ongoing genocide in Gaza, we see, however,
that the entire set of movements and struggles of the era lack a
visionary orientation and a strategy towards a revolutionary and
liberating direction. Because of this fact, and despite their real
importance, they ultimately become easily assimilated or are condemned
to remain isolated moments of struggle and social outbursts with
specific limits.
As anarchists, our role on the key issues and struggles of our time
should be catalytic. With our organized presence and action, we must
convince and inspire society and our class that the struggles are not in
vain, but on the contrary are more necessary than ever, while
simultaneously attempting to generalize and radicalize them towards a
revolutionary perspective. Because the only path for the oppressed and
the exploited is none other than that of regrouping, organizing and
counterattacking against our powerful. On the road to Social Revolution,
Libertarian Communism and Anarchy.
Anti-state / Anti-capitalist March for the TIF
Saturday 6/9 Kamara 18:00
Horizontal Movement - For Anarchy and Libertarian Communism (Thessaloniki)
Anarchist Initiative of Saints Anargyroi - Kamaterou (Athens)
https://protaanka.espivblogs.net/2025/09/01/koini-anakoinosi-kalesma-stin-diadilosi-tis-deth/
_________________________________________
A - I N F O S N E W S S E R V I C E
By, For, and About Anarchists
Send news reports to A-infos-en mailing list
A-infos-en@ainfos.ca
year, this year too, employees are invited to attend the Prime
Minister's announcements at the Opening of the Thessaloniki
International Fair. This now customary procedure consists of a speech by
the political head of state, in which "measures for the relief of the
weaker sections of society" are usually announced and promises of
"development and prosperity" are made. ---- According to what we have
read so far in the news media, the package of measures that Mitsotakis
is expected to announce on September 6th fully reflects the policy of
the New Democracy government so far: A few crumbs thrown to the people,
sprinkled with gold dust by the establishment media. Crumbs that have in
fact been extracted from our own economic bloodletting, through state
policies of austerity and class exploitation.
The narrative on which New Democracy has based its entire term in
government is now well-known and well-played: economic growth and
stability supplemented by the doctrine of "law and order" and a few
doses of moderate welfare so as not to exceed fiscal limits. We will see
this narrative unfold again in the prime minister's speech, in the midst
of New Democracy's attempt to use the TIF to restructure itself and
recover its poll ratings, in the wake of the social anger expressed in
recent months in the large demonstrations over Tempi, the recent
revelation of the OPEKEPE scandal and the social discontent that has
been shaped by the unbearable reality of poverty and impasses for the
large social majority.
The mobilization of measures - crumbs towards the economically weaker in
order for New Democracy to gain electoral value and change the negative
climate for it, was already evident last April, when, in its attempt to
change the agenda after the mobilizations for the state-capitalist crime
of Tempi, it rushed to prematurely announce some of the TIF benefits
that will be in effect from... November. These benefits, which will form
the core of TIF's announcements, such as the 250-euro payment to certain
low-income pensioners and vulnerable social groups, the return of rent,
constitute the confirmation of the rule for how state officials
distribute wealth. While the Greek economy exceeded its primary surplus
targets, which were inflated, as has happened before (e.g. SYRIZA's
famous cushion), by the plundering of income, pensions and social
benefits, only a small percentage (about 1/11) of this surplus is
returned to those who pulled the strings so that the rulers could boast
about "growth."
The success story of growth that New Democracy has built is being
demolished not only by the same unbearable everyday life that the vast
social majority lives, but also by their own numbers: the GDP of the
Greek state in 2024 in nominal terms remained lower than that of 2011,
the forecast for the percentage of public debt in relation to GDP for
2025 remains at the same levels as in 2010, while at the same time the
memorandum rules, such as primary surpluses, are still here, necessarily
leading New Democracy to a more restrained "offer of benefits", despite
its agonizing effort for recovery.
Of course, these economic figures will be hidden in the prime minister's
speech and an attempt will be made to highlight the "benefits of
development for the many", while in reality it is a development for the
benefit of the few: thus, while the prime minister will talk about the
drop in the ocean of the "social housing" program, on the other hand he
will boast about the increase in investments, a large part of which
comes from the boom in real estate and tourism capital that have a
leading role in the increase in rents and the housing crisis, while he
will talk about the goal of an anemic increase in the minimum wage with
a horizon of 2027, he will applaud the surplus income of state coffers
that come largely from the profiteering of precision that is destroying
the purchasing power of the lower social strata, while he will talk
about some imaginary improvement of the disbanded and understaffed
National Health Service, he will emphasize the necessity for paying 5%
of GDP in war spending and increasing the salaries of the military and
police.
On the other hand, the fragmented social democratic or center-left
opposition is unable to counter a government narrative, having fully
assimilated into its agenda the myth of the end of the crisis and the
exit from the memoranda, which Tsipras' SYRIZA inaugurated and
Mitsotakis continued with greater success. Thus, they lack an
oppositional narrative on the big picture of the economy as well as on
major social issues, since almost all of them participated in the
economic binge and the bloodletting of the social base in the midst of
the crisis. The "first time on the left" even bears enormous
responsibilities for the disappointment and futility within a large
portion of the grassroots, which led to its withdrawal from the
forefront of struggles in the last decade. Fascists of all kinds will
certainly try to take advantage of the current climate and the global
shift towards the far right, but it is up to us to stop them. We should
of course make it clear that, as anarchists, we do not believe that any
government, right or left, would ever legislate and act in favor of
those from below. In this authoritarian and oppressive system, the
political power in question, whatever color it may wear, exists to serve
the ruling class.
At the same time, as the government tries to convince us of the benefits
of growth and clashes with the opposition over who got us out of the
crisis, the reality for workers is particularly harsh. Accuracy is
skyrocketing, both in the supermarket and in energy bills. Rents have
skyrocketed, while people of our class are being thrown out onto the
streets by funds that buy up "red" mortgages in the new year. Wages,
mostly stuck at extremely low levels, are no longer enough to cover the
increased cost of living. The attack on the working class continues with
new anti-labor laws that make the basic wage hostage to the indicators
of capitalist "development", while at the same time, they essentially
impose the 13-hour workday, legalize the most flexible forms of
employment for the benefit of the bosses and want to cancel with a
single stroke the union struggles and the right to strike, with the
bogey of unemployment as a means of persuasion and discipline.
The dominant policy imposes the disintegration of public infrastructure
and the privatization of everything. Public health is suffering from
understaffing and higher education is increasingly opening up to private
individuals, with the recent vote on private universities. A victim of
this same policy and a more egregious example of its effects is the
railway network, where the combination of selling off part of its assets
to private individuals with its chronic state degradation and the lack
of even the most basic, necessary investments in infrastructure, brought
about the state-capitalist crime of Tempi and the murder of 57 of our
fellow human beings.
Of course, those who decide to resist the above-mentioned treaty are
called upon to face intensified repression. The attack on unions and the
right to strike is accompanied by new anti-terrorist laws for enemies of
the established order, with (pre)trial detention and convictions of
activists without evidence. On the other hand, the generalized impunity
observed towards members of political power and big Capital, despite the
stench of corruption and the scandals that constantly emerge in the
public sphere, show us in the best way how "independent" bourgeois
justice is.
We do not forget, of course, that this year's TIF is being held during
the period when the genocide of our time is being carried out in
Palestine by the Murderous State of Israel. Nor do we forget the role
that the Greek State has played in this affair, tied to the political
and economic interests of the Western imperialist bloc. At the same time
that the majority of society carries out and frames solidarity actions
with the Palestinian people, the Greek government continues to support,
among other things, Zionist investments in the country, in tourism,
industry, etc. And all this while it proceeds to continuously increase
the percentage of GDP allocated to armament programs and carries out a
cruel war on immigrants, both with the murders at the country's land and
water borders, and internally, with the new racist laws of the fascist
Minister Plevris.
Faced with the reality of poverty, job loss, repression and war imposed
on us by the state and capital, the only hope the working class has is
the collective path of organization and struggle. A struggle to
overthrow the system of oppression and exploitation, towards the
creation of a world that lives up to our needs and desires.
Although important struggles have taken place recently, which have
brought large segments of society to the streets, such as the
mobilizations against the state-capitalist crime of Tempi and the
anti-war movement against the ongoing genocide in Gaza, we see, however,
that the entire set of movements and struggles of the era lack a
visionary orientation and a strategy towards a revolutionary and
liberating direction. Because of this fact, and despite their real
importance, they ultimately become easily assimilated or are condemned
to remain isolated moments of struggle and social outbursts with
specific limits.
As anarchists, our role on the key issues and struggles of our time
should be catalytic. With our organized presence and action, we must
convince and inspire society and our class that the struggles are not in
vain, but on the contrary are more necessary than ever, while
simultaneously attempting to generalize and radicalize them towards a
revolutionary perspective. Because the only path for the oppressed and
the exploited is none other than that of regrouping, organizing and
counterattacking against our powerful. On the road to Social Revolution,
Libertarian Communism and Anarchy.
Anti-state / Anti-capitalist March for the TIF
Saturday 6/9 Kamara 18:00
Horizontal Movement - For Anarchy and Libertarian Communism (Thessaloniki)
Anarchist Initiative of Saints Anargyroi - Kamaterou (Athens)
https://protaanka.espivblogs.net/2025/09/01/koini-anakoinosi-kalesma-stin-diadilosi-tis-deth/
_________________________________________
A - I N F O S N E W S S E R V I C E
By, For, and About Anarchists
Send news reports to A-infos-en mailing list
A-infos-en@ainfos.ca
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