Greeks are not ‘adolescents’ who should obey ‘adults’
Zoi Konstantopoulou, Syriza MP and speaker of the Greek parliament, tells Channel 4 News her government is trying to serve its democratic mandate and not trying to blackmail Europe.
Below is a transcript of an interviewing between Zoi Constantopoulou, speaker of the Greek parliament, and Channel 4 News’s Krishnan Guru-Murthy.
ZK: First of all, I would advise everyone not to pretend this is a game because we’re talking about human lives, human rights and democracy.
The Greek people have suffered tremendously. They have suffered because of agreements which were basically dictated by the IMF, by the European Commission and by the European Central Bank.
It is now proven that these agreements were invalid. It is now proven by the special committee instituted by the parliament, that the Greek debt is illegal, odious and unsustainable.
KGM: In practical terms, what does that mean? You want the debt written off?
ZK: We would like for a sincere dialogue to be effectuated — not in the context of blackmail.
KGM: You see, the other side will say it is not Europe that is blackmailing Greece, it is Greece that is blackmailing Europe by talking about the impact of Greek exit being much more painful to the rest of Europe.
ZK: I’m sorry but the Greek government is trying to defend the people’s right to choose another policy. It’s trying to serve its democratic mandate. And I wouldn’t say it is acceptable for that to be considered a blackmail. I would say the contrary.
To ask a government to circumvent its democratic mandate and to ask a people to accept that elections do not matter, that its democratic choice does not matter because policies do not change by elections — I would say this is a very, very dangerous and undemocratic view.
KGM: How do you feel as a human rights lawyer about your prime minister, Mr Tsipras, sitting down with Russia’s President Putin and talking about not being afraid to seek out new seas and new ports?
ZK: I’m sorry but I think you’re really making… you’re really addressing questions which include answers which basically presume certain conclusions, and I wouldn’t like to enter into this kind of dismissing pre-formulated answers included in questions.
KGM: We see Mr Tsipras in Russia today. Do you think Russia has an answer to Greece’s problems?
ZK: I think the question is not who has an answer for Greece’s problems. The real question is whether the European Union will live up to its responsibility to solve a problem which is not Greece’s alone.
This is a problem of Europe, and it goes to the heart of the principles concluded when Europe, when the European Union, was created.
KGM: Angela Merkel says your prime minister’s got to stop insulting her and her ministers, and Madame Lagarde at the IMF says it’s time for “adults” to have a conversation. What do you make of those comments by those two women?
ZK: Well, I do not think that the people should be considered adolescents who should obey governments as adults, and I think this is a very problematic statement.
