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COALITION OF THE RADICAL LEFT UNIFYING SOCIAL FRONT

SPEECH OF THE PRESIDENT OF SYRIZA/USF ALEXIS TSIPRAS

IN THE CENTRAL PRE-ELECTION RALLY IN ATHENS

OMONOIA SQUARE, JUNE 14th 2012

Citizens of Athens, My fellow Greeks, This is the rally of victory. The victory of democracy. Of dignity. Of hope. Of responsibility. Victory of change. Victory of Greece. On Sunday Greece will turn a page. It will leave fear behind. It will leave insecurity behind. It will leave behind those who tried to poison the Greek people with fear and insecurity. Mrs. Samaras and Venizelos. It will leave behind the New Democracy and PASOK parties that have made lies their personal philosophy. So as to blackmail the Greek people. To steal votes. Only through fear. Because New Democracy and PASOK have nothing to propose to the people. Just the fear of the catastrophic Memorandum. After all, what else could they have said? They were both in power throughout all these years. They brought the country to this state on their own. Born through corruption. Born through intertwined interests. Born through destruction. They have pillaged and plundered Greece. And then they lowered the Greek flag.

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And handed it over to Angela Merkel. Yet, the Greek people did not show fear confronted with those who were scared and guilty. Mr. Samaras and Mr. Venizelos. The Greek people did not succumb. The Greek people did not surrender their dignity to them. And with their vote on Sunday, The vote for SYRIZA USF, Turn their back to the two parties of bankruptcy. To New Democracy and PASOK. To the two parties of the bankruptcy Memorandum and of the return to the drachma. Our people will step into the future on Sunday. They will take their fates in their own hands. Our people, through their vote for SYRIZA USF will open the way for a great change in History. Towards a new Greece. With democracy. With justice. With security. With stability. With dignity. With a rule of law. For this big change that starts on Monday. With the peoples government. Placing in its core, the strong SYRIZA - USF. Coming Monday Greece will start anew. It will start off again. With optimism and security. With calm, seriousness, robustness and responsibility. Free of unexpected elements. Free of surprises. Free of second thoughts. We have the self-confidence of the calm power. A power that disposes of the knowledge, the will and the way to change the fate of the people and the country. On Monday a new era will begin. The era of great changes and of important reforms. On Monday the bankrupt Memorandum will be a thing of the past. On Monday the new era of growth and social solidarity will start. And we send a clear message to speculators and gamblers all over. Do not bet your money on Greeces exit from the Eurozone on Monday because you are about to lose.

Citizens of Athens, My fellow Greeks, Whatever we are telling you today, we will do tomorrow. We will not prove you wrong. We will not betray you. This is why, in the critical Sunday elections. The poll on the Memorandum. With the only real dilemma. With this life dilemma. Memorandum or SYRIZA-USF. The answer is one and only. SYRIZA - USF. Before the only real dilemma of power. Memorandum joint government of New Democracy and PASOK. Or an anti-memorandum progressive government. There is one and only answer. Antimemorandum government with SYRIZA-USF in its core. A government of the new postjunta era. A government of the people. With a strong and omnipotent SYRIZA-USF in the center. Even if we get a clear majority to win a clear mandate, on Monday we will co-operate. However, we are not going to participate in any government that will transform the peoples antimemorandum vote to a memorandum policy. That will entrap the people. There is no Memorandum ecumenical government. With New Democracy and PASOK. It does not exist, not even in a so called form of government of national accord, national unity or shared national responsibility. That is, a government of national complicity. Nor will we constitute a pool of Siloam so that those responsible and liable for Greeces current miserable state wash off their sins. This is why the only true dilemma of power on Sunday is: New Democracy or SYRIZA-USF. To put it differently New Democracy or Democracy. For this reason. Give a strong and clear mandate to SYRIZA -USF. A mandate of hope and responsibility. A strong SYRIZA-USF. A self reliant people. On Sunday we will be voting keeping an eye on Spain. Spain negotiated and succeeded to receive

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European financial support. Without a Memorandum of fiscal adjustment. In spite of the threats and extortions of the lenders. Even without a Memorandum, Spain remains in the Eurozone. This is why we say. No to the Memorandum of bankruptcy. Yes to the euro with a National Uplifting Plan that will reconstitute the economy and will protect the people against bankruptcy. We are saying: Negotiation of victory in Europe for the people and the country. For the benefit of the people. For the benefit of Europe. For the benefit of the people of Europe. With SYRIZA-USF in power, with the people in power. People of Athens, People of Greece, Sunday is not just about a simple confrontation between SYRIZA and the political establishment of the Memorandum. With the parties of New Democracy and PASOK. It is about an encounter of the people with their lives. An encounter of the people with their fate. An encounter of Greece of the few with Greece of the many. Between Greece of oligarchy and Greece of Democracy. Citizens of Athens, On May 6th, our people took a first step towards the new post-junta era. Towards the overthrow of the vicious two-party system in Greece, towards a great change in Europe. Because indeed Europe in June is different as compared to Europe in May. The political climate has changed. This leads to conservative political leaderships of Europe feeling uneasy. Since they thrive by cultivating fear and insecurity. This is what Mrs. Merkel is afraid of. And in all fairness, she should. She is afraid that the change in Europe will also sweep her along the same path. This is what Mr. Samaras is afraid of. And in all fairness, he should. He has committed himself, by his own signature, to a Europe that is outbound, that is departing. He is afraid that the change in Europe will also sweep him along on Sunday in Greece. That he and the parties of the memorandum will have become a thing of the past by Monday. Mr. Samaras has been the guarantor of Mrs. Merkels Europe that is currently fading. We guarantee the Europe that is now being born. We, together with our people, become the creators of the new. We blaze a trail in hope. To the benefit of the people and the country. On May 6th, our people, through voting for SYRIZA-USF, have brought about the first tangible results.

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The countdown for the end of the austerity memoranda has started. The scared and surrendered leaders of the memorandum parties have understood that their biggest and truest fear is the wrath and the judgment of the people. This is why they are currently seeking to externalize their fear. Fighting tooth and nail to transpose their fear to the people. To render fear a means to manipulate the people. Those who are afraid of us are trying now to intimidate us. Mr. Samaras and Mr. Venizelos wish to have a people who are intimidated, submissive, closed in a shell, enduring misery. They address themselves to the wrong people. Our people did not bend and did not surrender even in the direst times of our history. Our people never lowered the flag of dignity and our sovereignty. Not even when occupiers set foot in the country. They will not lower the flag now either, as is shown in Mr. Samaras political T.V. advertisement. They will not lower the flag of the struggle for dignity and sovereignty just to vindicate the signatures of Mr. Samaras and Mr. Venizelos on the second memorandum. No matter how hard they are trying to hide it, we remind them of the Memorandum they committed themselves to apply. Because they have signed confirming that:

They are willing to adopt any additional measures required for the implementation of the Memorandum. They will adopt new austerity measures, much higher than the initial 11.6 b. for the two years period of 2013-2014, immediately after the elections. These measures include: Redundancies of 150.000 employees of the Public Administration by 2015. 15.000 within the year 2012. New reduction in Public Administration payroll. Further reduction of salaries in the private sector. New reduction of main pensions, additional pensions and social benefits. New reduction of the lump sum on retirement by 30%. New reduction of drugs expenditure by 1b. Increase of the contributions of those insured to the cost of drugs prescribed in health booklets. Increase of the contributions of those insured to the cost of hospital care. Abolishment of the nontaxable income limit of 5000 and of tax exemptions for first housing mortgage loans and medical expenses. Abolishment of the current low VAT rate for the islands. Increase of the heating oil price from 1 per liter to 1.40 in October. Increase in the tariffs of the Public Utilities. Increases of the prices of public means of transport tickets.
Citizens of Athens, Fellow Greeks, We are through with the lies. Now you know.

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It is only by voting for SYRIZA USF on Sunday that you will offer Greece new possibilities in Europe on Monday. Now you know. Only SYRIZA USF can effectively negotiate in Europe. In the interest of the people and of the country. Because we had said right from the start: No to the Memorandum, Yes to Euro. We had not equated the Memorandum with the Euro. We have been vindicated by the developments in Europe. Moreover, we have not signed any memorandum. What is binding for us is the peoples mandate. This is why we are reliable negotiators for Greece in Europe. Because we are the only ones who cannot be considered easy and taken for granted. Besides, no one has a hold on us. Because, our names do not appear in Mr. Christophorakoss lists. We have never been fed by Siemens. And God knows by many other multinational corporate giants and domestic business interests. The parties of New Democracy and PASOK asking for your vote are both easy and taken for granted as well as tied. And they will tie Greece, even more tightly, to the carriage of catastrophe. Citizens of Athens, Now you know. Only SYRIZA USF guarantees the political, economic and social stability of the country. The security of Greek citizens. Because SYRIZA USF is the only political power that steadily expresses the overall antimemorandum majority of the Greek people. And only SYRIZA USF, strong in the parliament and amongst the people, on Sunday can transform this huge social majority into political and parliamentary majority. It is only SYRIZA USF that will take power on Monday with the people and for the people. On the contrary, the party of New Democracy is the party of instability and insecurity. Because they have been the guarantors of the Memorandum. That is they have guaranteed their continuous opposition to the social majority that is against the memorandum. Their conflict with the people. They have vouched for destruction and chaos. Bankruptcy and drachma. But what does Mr. Samaras exactly mean when he talks about citizens security? He means keeping the memorandum safe from protesters. Protecting it from the reactions of the people that he knows will be caused by his memorandum policy. Not keeping the people safe from thieves and criminals. So, he proposed a Hollywood type of 12 commandments for security. With helicopters and water hoses. With strengthened Riot Police. What do all these things have to do with the daily citizens security? While at the same time small and big, organized crime thrives. We guarantee the individual security and safety of the citizens. Because we will redraft the distribution of human resources in the security corps. And we will restore their financial and professional dignity.

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We will withdraw the multitude of policemen with whom the New Democracy and PASOK governments have filled the ministries and the Parliament. To serve their own, within clientelism. We will withdraw them from the protection of famous journalists and entrepreneurs. From the clientelistic mutual coverage of intertwined interests. And we will send them to the vacant police departments. In the neighborhoods and on the streets. For the actual protection of the citizens and of their property. We will not be chasing protesters, but rather thieves and robbers. Thats why only SYRIZA USF can vouch for the citizens individual security and safety. The parties of New Democracy and PASOK were in power and they failed to guarantee the safety of the Greek people. They remembered it just before the elections. To blame SYRIZA USF for their own blatant failure. Citizens of Athens, Now you know. Only SYRIZA USF can guarantee for the bank savings of the Greek people. Because it will release the country from the Memorandum that has annihilated all the savings of salaried workers and pensioners. Because it has forced them to use their life savings for their daily survival. And now, they have the nerve and the audacity to blame SYRIZA-USF. For their own lack of responsibility. Hitting continuously below the belt. Not hitting SYRIZA - USF. But hitting the people and the countrys economic stability. Throughout the pre-election period, New Democracy and PASOK led in every possible way simple citizens withdraw their bank savings. Not only through the irresponsible and criminal speculation for the return to drachma. But in other ways too. At the verge of legitimacy. We, as a power of stability and responsibility, pledge to guarantee the bank savings and the earnings of simple citizens. Mr. Samaras neither guarantees them nor did he respect them before the elections. And after the elections he is about to annihilate them with the Memorandum that he is going to implement. He instilled insecurity and panic in search of votes. He has railed whatever has been left from the international profile and reliability of our country. Whatever has been left from tourism and import trade. He completed the chaos of the Memorandum, for which he too is responsible, with the black propaganda against Greece. He sacrificed Greece to his own personal interests. Making it possible for those who have made it a lifelong purpose to hold the power, not to lose power. Those who threw the country on the rocks and then abandoned it. So that they could return and continue with the pillage. The scandals of scandals. Siemens. The structured bonds. But you do remember them. We are neither nave, nor intimidated, nor are we lotus eaters (nor have we been eating the fruits of oblivion). Are we going to risk it?

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Are we going to risk having Mr. Samaras with the over-conservative agenda and his extreme right partners in the countrys government? Should we trust a party whose campaign leader calls the Golden Dawn a brother party? Should we trust Mr. Samaras, Mrs. Bakogianni and their extreme right entourage once again? Who without any trace of self-criticism. Without the least apology. Threaten to take over once more. To save us once again. So that they continue pillaging. To return Greece to the black period of schism and rift. Citizens of Athens, Now you know. I am addressing myself to the elderly people. I say Vote for the future. For your children and grandchildren. Only SYRIZA USF guarantees the pensions of the Greek people. New Democracy and PASOK have sacrificed them to the Memorandum. They have slaughtered them and they are about to do it again. They stole the funds with the structured bonds, they stole the funds with the psi and currently they are preparing to finish them off, continuing with the memorandum. Do Mrs. Samaras and Venizelos dare to speak to pensioners? But not to pensioners alone. They give over a country with a crash in the health sector. Not only regarding the distribution of drugs. But also regarding hospital care. Right now, hospital departments are being closed down. Surgical operations are being cancelled. We guarantee that on the first day we will assume our new duties, the duties that the ruling people will entrust us with, We will work towards allocating the necessary resources to the health sector and to EOPYY. Citizens of Athens, Now you know. It is only SYRIZA USF that guarantees the end of corruption and intertwined interests. Because we are not a component of the old political system that used to feed on corruption leading to intertwined interests. This is why we vouch for transparency, meritocracy and the rule of law. Because it is like oxygen to us to counter the asphyxiation that the intertwined interests wish to cause. From Monday on, we will put an end to lawlessness and unaccountability. The party is over.

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Rules for all. For national contractors, for national vendors, for T.V. channel owners. At last, they will be called to pay for the first time for the use of public frequencies. The only certainty that will be lost with SYRIZA USF in power is the certainty of the political immunity of those who have brought the country to this state. From Monday onwards, we will finish once and for all with kickbacks. With cleptocracy. The state will return to the people. Not to the parties, not to the networks, not to contractors. Citizens of Athens, Now you know who actually are those who impose unfair taxes. New Democracy and PASOK. You have already seen the debit tax clearing forms for the reduced income of 2011. And Samaras and Venizelos have the nerve to accuse us and our tax policy. A policy that will lift the injustice. That will terminate the tax impunity of the intertwined interests. That taxes wealth. Not poverty. Providing a relief to the middle class. Not giving it a death blow. As do those who impose unfair taxes. As New Democracy and PASOK do. Citizens of Athens, My fellow Greeks, On Sunday. With their vote for SYRIZA - USF. The people will turn a new page in the new post-junta era in the history of Greece. On Monday we will form a government of all Greeks. We will leave our past behind. And together, we will make a fresh start. United not divided. We take the responsibility to govern the country and we guarantee a stable, safe and just course for the people and the country, within the Eurozone. We restore the countrys international credibility and prestige. In this way, we will ensure Greeces equal participation and membership in all the European and international institutions. We will replace the ineffective Memorandum with a National Uplifting Plan.

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A plan for the socially fair exit of the country from the crisis. For the reconstruction of its growth and its production. For the ecological transformation of economy. In this way, we guarantee Greece will remain a member of the Eurozone. We take the responsibility to govern the country and we restore the right of Greek families, the right of all Greeks to a life with dignity, safe employment and just remuneration. A right to decent pension and care for the elderly, regardless of their income. We take responsibility to govern the country and our youth acquires prospects and perspective in the homeland. A life and a future. Here. Not in some foreign land. We will not offer them our country. This country belongs to the new generation and to all the people. Not to the creditors. To make this dream come true though, In order for our country to have its people in power on Monday. In order to have an anti-memorandum progressive government. With strong SYRIZA USF in the center. Every young person. On Sunday should go to vote. Vote for SYRIZA USF on Sunday. So as not to let others vote for them. Because, above all, what is put on the line on Sunday is their lives. Citizens of Athens, Dear Friends, We dream of a better life. And it is well within our rights to do so. To claim that. And to demand it. In these elections, we want to take our lives in our own hands. We can hear now, all over Greece, Bells heralding the big, historical change that is on its way. Because hope has prevailed over fear. Because nobody and nothing can stop a people decided to take life in their hands. Because nobody and nothing can stop a people decided to change their fate. There is no going back.

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The people unite with SYRIZA -USF. To stop the destruction. The people unite with SYRIZA - USF. To pave the great avenues of Democracy, of Dignity, of Justice, of Stability and of Security. Mr. Samaras and the mix of the extremes that the New Democracy party has prepared, The mix of the extreme right and the extreme neo-liberals Produce a schism for the people, they cause a rift Drawing on dividing lines from the 50s. With the mottos of ERE, While on Sunday, the Memorandum will be put under your judgment. The new dividing line. The dividing line of our actual life today. We unite the people. We call upon all Greeks, Regardless of their political preference in the past. Regardless of their vote on May 6th. Unbiased and having as their unique criterion their own interest. The interest of their children and the interest of our land. To respond to this call of patriotic and democratic unity that SYRIZA USF addresses. To come together and rally for our realistic and implementable government plan for a socially just exit from the crisis. We ask them to show trust in our valued and honest members who have proven their worth in the track of life, who will implement it. Coming Monday, all together. With SYRIZA - USF. With the anti-memorandum progressive government for new Greece. Coming Monday, work for new Greece. With Europe and within the Eurozone With security and stability. With self-confidence and robustness. Responsibly. We make our dream come true. For us. For our children. For Democracy. For Greece. For Europe of the peoples. Bye and be victorious. Struggle door to door, talking to friends, earning votes until Sunday. Mobilise for the great victory. For the historic reversal. Good Bye. 14/06/2012

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