Greece

The response from the supporters and readers of Marxist.com to our recent solidarity appeal for the Coca-Cola workers in Athens (Greece) has been tremendous. The comrades of the Greek Marxist journal, Marxistiki Foni, sent us a message for all our readers. The Union in the factory has also sent us a letter of thanks for all our readers that we are also publishing here.

In December there was a massive general strike in Greece with huge participation both in the public and private sectors. This is less than two years into the right-wing New Democracy government. The strike was against a new bill affecting workers’ rights. A militant mood is once more growing among Greek workers and it is destined to get stronger in the coming period.

After playing for time before last year’s Olympic games, the Greek ruling class is preparing an all-out attack on the workers of Greece. The Greek economy is beginning to slow down and this is adding to the problems of the ruling class. A recent wave of strikes and general strikes indicates that Greece is clearly moving towards a period of renewed class conflict.

The Greek Orthodox Church and the Judiciary have been involved in major corruption scandals, involving embezzlement, drug running and bribing of judges to fix trials. Two “pillars” of the Greek state have thus been exposed in the eyes of the masses, something which will have profound consequences in the coming years of class struggle. We publish an introduction by Fred Weston and the Editorial statement of the new Greek Marxist journal, Marxistiki Phoni, on these developments.

This report from Athens shows how the Greek bosses tried to exploit to their advantage the victory of the Greek football team in the European Cup. The main speaker in the official celebrations was the head of the Greek Orthodox Church who gave a very nationalist speech. He was widely hissed and many people abandoned the stadium. It gives an idea of what is to come in Greece.

Last night Greece was one huge party after the victory in the European Cup. No doubt workers and youth feel the need to celebrate, for the social and economic situation gives them no reason to be cheerful. Fred Weston looks at the situation in Greece as it is developing after the defeat of the PASOK and the election of the right-wing New Democracy government

Two weeks ago the PASOK (Greek Socialist Party) was ousted from power and the conservative ND (New Democracy) were elected to government. Has Greek society therefore shifted to the right? A closer look at the voting patterns shows that a majority actually voted for the left parties, who together got 52%. It also shows that the PASOK lost precisely because of its conservative policies.

A sudden change took place in the Greek political scene on January 7, when PASOK president and Prime Minister Mr. Kostas Simitis announced that he would resign as president of the party at the party's emergency congress on February 6th. He also announced that he would resign as Prime Minister the day after the elections, which will be held on March 7th. The next day, January 8, the party's Central Committee (CC) met and accepted Simitis' resignation and decided the date of the congress and the procedure for the election of the new leader.

In the recent period Greece has been gripped by a wave of strikes involving ever wider layers.The PASOK government is facing more and more opposition as the effects of its austerity measures bite into the living standards of ordinary working people. This has opened up the prospect of the PASOK possibly losing the next general election.

The level of antiwar mobilisations of the Greek workers and youth over the past few weeks, including several general strikes, is an indication of a deeper and more wide-ranging process that is developing in Greece. As the PASOK government faces defeat in next year's elections, Fred Weston looks at what is happening in the Greek trade unions, the youth and the left parties in general.

On Thursday April 3, 2003, the two general trade union federations in Greece, the GSEE (private sector) and ΑDΕDI (public sector) called a general strike against the imperialist war in Iraq. The GSEE limited itself to calling a four hour general strike, while the ADEDI called one of 24 hours.

Another general strike against the war called in Greece for April 3

Antiwar feelings are running very high in Greece. There has already been a general strike against the war. This took place shortly after the war broke out. And if some people thought this would die down once the war had started they will have to think twice. The workers and youth of Greece are not going to give the imperialists any respite.

Thursday morning (March 20) once the general public heard that the imperialist war against Iraq had broken out, tens of thousands of school students left the schools spontaneously and marched from every district of Athens to Sindagma (Constitution) Square. At the same time thousands of university students left their faculties and together with thousands of other people they flooded to the square and then a huge demonstration marched to the American Embassy, which is about three kilometres to the North East of the town.