SYRIZA: The background behind the “yes” vote on defence spending

Almost as time was running out, yesterday afternoon, the Syriza Progressive Alliance‘s stance on defence spending crystallized, with the budget debate culminating this evening. However, the Bureau of the SYRIZA PS Parliamentary Group met only yesterday to formulate its final stance on armaments, given that two strong “currents” had formed within its ranks on the issue, while the New Left was insisting on voting against them.

In any case, “on the recommendation of President Socrates Famellos, the presidium of the C.O. decided that SYRIZA P.S. will vote for the defense expenditures, which have not been differentiated from last year. We are fully aware of the circumstances and the responsibilities arising from them, despite our serious reservationsabout the arms programs that the government is planning for the future, but also about the serious deficits that exist today in the armed forces under its responsibility,” Koumoundourou sources said yesterday about the vote for the defense spending. They added: “SYRIZA P.S. is and remains the country’s real opposition according to the popular verdict. We judge every time based on the needs of society and demand accountability and transparency from the government.”

In the same line with the New Left, however, that of “against” had been in the past few days, MPs Miltos Zambaras and Andreas Panagiotopoulos, while negative to the possibility of a vote in favor of defense spending and the MP for Chania, Pavlos Polakis. On the contrary, several MPs, among them:

– Symeon Kedikoglou, as the new Minister of National Defense

– Charis Mamoulakis,

– Nina Kasimatis,

– George Gavrilos,

– Poppi Tsapanidou,

– Vassilis Kokkalis and

– Marina Kontotoli.

The message of Kokkalis

In the case, in fact, of Larissa MP, Vassilis Kokkalis things were quite clear. According to reports, he would vote in favour of defence spending regardless of the final stance of the SYRIZA PC, while he made his position clear early on, stating to ertnews that “”the Greek people voted for me in 2019 in an expanded SYRIZA, with Alexis Tsipras, for a progressive front to address the problems of the Greek people. (…) Obviousl,y I do not come from the Left. (…) He voted for me because he agreed with many of Syriza’s program and with Alexis Tsipras, as he had expanded Syriza into a large party.”

“Step towards normality”

According to reports, the same stance was to be taken by another SYRIZA PS MP and while scenarios are growing that want Stefanos Kasselakis’ Democracy Movement to proceed to the creation of a parliamentary group, after the holidays.

It is no coincidence, moreover, that after the announcement of SYRIZA’s stance, several MPs commented with relief that “a step towards normality has been taken”, feeling the pressure of the rise of PASOK, as they describe it, in their electoral districts.

Kasselakis in favour

Besides, in a post, the President of the Movement for Democracy, Stefanos Kasselakis, announced that “we vote in favour of defence spending because, on the one hand, armament aid is necessary for security and the prevention of threats“. And on the other hand, “we believe in the overall support of the Armed Forces, both in terms of material means and human resources,” he said. However, for the Democracy Movement, the vote in favour of defence spending “does not constitute a blank cheque“, they stress, regarding the level of defence spending, while describing it as “provocation” reports that Kasselakis is in talks on the issue of the presidential election.

At the same time, in an article in the National Herald, the President of the Movement for Democracy said in an intervention on the economy that “in 2019, New Democracy won the elections, blaming Syriza’s super-growth and promising strong growth and tax relief for all. Today Greece is the country with the largest surpluses, the tightest fiscal targets and the highest taxes in the EU.”

“Growth is weak and has no payback for the average Greek, whose life compared to the average European has remained stagnant. In terms of purchasing power, the per capita income of the average Greek is only 67% of the average European. According to the most recent OECD report, Greece has 35% less disposable income than OECD countries (17800 vs 27500)” he continues. Kasselakis, concluded that “the country needs to close the gap from the European average in spending on Housing Policy (0.7% of GDP), Health (1.6% of GDP), Education (0.9% of GDP), Sickness, Disability, Welfare (1.3% of GDP), Family Protection and tackling under-birth (0.6% of GDP)”.

Famellos, like Kasselakis

At the end of the day, the pressure towards the Center that SYRIZA PS is receiving from both PASOK and the Democracy Movement seems to “freeze” for the time being any exploratory contacts between Koumoundourou and the New Left, which has welcomed with disappointment SYRIZA’s approval of the defence spending, providing 11 MPs and with it the ticket for any return of SYRIZA PS to the opposition.

“What has not differed from last year is SYRIZA’s policy. The same as it voted last year with a different president, Mr. Kasselakis, it votes this year with a different president, Mr. Famellos,” said the head of the New Left, Alexis Charitsis. “You will not find consensus from us. You may have a very nice atmosphere with PASOK and SYRIZA. We will spoil this atmosphere of consensus with the first step being the vote against tomorrow (today) on the super armaments of Mr Mitsotakis,” Charitsis concluded.

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