PRESS RELEASE
Tsipras Invites Cyprus To Join in Struggle
Feb. 3, 2015 (EIRNS)—Speaking before the House of Representatives of Cyprus, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras called on Cyprus to join its struggle against the bailout-austerity policy.
"In this effort for social justice, to bring back an agenda of growth and employment in Europe, in the effort for the rights of our people, we want you by our side," he told Parliament, according to the Cyprus Mail. "We want you on our side ... in the important effort we are starting to tackle the humanitarian crisis in Greece," he said, continuing that Greece and Cyprus were not just two small countries in the EU and the Eurozone, because without them, Europe would lose two pillars of security and stability in the highly explosive eastern Mediterranean.
"The end that today, more than ever, must be stable and secure. Those who do not understand this and only make financial calculations will be disproved very soon. Because economists are good, but if we only listen to them, we risk leading Europe to a great catastrophe."
Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades said Greece and Cyprus will work together with other EU countries that share the same views:
"that emphasis must be put on growth.... We must now see, especially after the strong mandate to the new Greek government, how the group of states that embraces the need to turn to growth will turn theory to action. We are on the same page as regards the need for change to benefit European citizens."
The Cypriot President’s statement will no doubt more than raise eyebrows in Brussels, since Cyprus is still under a bailout regime. The Troika of the European Central Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and the European Commission, is in Cyprus today, reviewing the implementation of the notorious memorandum. They are said to be not pleased with the fact that the Cypriot opposition forced through legislation postponing implementation of the foreclosure law on unpaid mortgages, a prior conditionality for disbursement of the next tranche of the bail-out, which is now suspended.
