Winter has its End will attend the Everything for Everyone Festival (E4E) to discuss their experience as revolutionary journalists in Greece. The Everything for Everyone Festival is a free festival of music, art, and politics taking place in Seattle, Washington on August 11th and 12th. Please join us and meet the people behind the blog. Click for details.

In 2011, the rule of the 1% began to be challenged in new ways. A wave of discontent with the old order began in Egypt and Tunisia in the Spring. This wave gained strength and momentum into the Fall with the Occupy movement. Now, in 2012, there is a desire coming from everywhere on the planet to continue that spirit of resistance and develop it in new and meaningful ways. This desire is not manifest in traditional forms of opposition to the current system, nor does it seek just to “fix” the old oppressive order to make it seem “fairer.”

We aspire to a new form of popular struggle, new ways of relating to each other as people and to our planet – our common home. This desire is not merely about balancing budgets or repairing social safety nets. It is about everything for everyone all over the planet. We invite all those who share this desire to come together in celebration of the world we seek and exchange ideas about how make that happen.

Contribution of international delegations decisively contributed to the sucess of the fifth Resistance Festival, held from June 29th to July 1st on the campus of the Agricultural University of Athens.

ATHENS, GREECE - The fifth annual Resistance Festival, organized by the Communist Organization of Greece (KOE), concluded with a debate on “A country in transition – Struggling for a different Greece.” This debate properly expressed the climate of creative reflection prevailing in Greek society following deep changes in the country's political scene and the corresponding opening of possibilities for the Left and SYRIZA. Speakers at this debate included Alexis Tsipras, leader of SYRIZA and head of its parliamentary group, and Sofia Sakorafa (MP, SYRIZA). Eftychis Bitsakis, a well-known intellectual, along with Rudi Rinaldi, member of KOE’s Secretariat, contributed to the conversation on the struggle for a different Greece. The debate was moderated by the writer Loukas Axelos in front of an audience of over 1,500 people.

Winter Has Its End earlier reported on the struggle of the workers at Greek Steelworks. On Friday, riot police (MAT) were dispatched to the steel factory by the pro-austerity coalition government in order to open its gates for the scabs. There have since been pro-worker demonstrations at the factory gate with various political forces in attendance, including SYRIZA, KKE, ANTARSYA, KKE(M-L), anarchists and others. In point of fact, several MPs of SYRIZA attended to show their support for the steelworkers (i.e., Bolari, Valavani, Stratoulis, Lafazanis, Kiriakakis and Kodelas). In a secret vote, moreover, the striking steelworkers overwhelmingly decided to continue their strike with 164 votes in favor of continuing the strike and only five against. A mass rally has been called by the striking steelworkers for Monday at Omonia Square (23 July 2012). In response to these developments, the following statement was issued by the Communist Organization of Greece (KOE). Translation courtesy of Azad.

UPDATE: Photographs from the mass rally at Omonia Square can be seen by clicking this link.

The anti-worker, undemocratic and unconstitutional action of the tripartite coalition government, i.e., dispatching riot police forces (MAT) to Greek Steelworks in Aspropirgos [in order to break the strike], is a provocation against the working class.

The Guardians of Austerity consisting of New Democracy, the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK), and the Democratic Left believed that after 265 days of the strike, they would be able to attenuate the resistance of the Steelworkers and set upon the path of a vengeful and morale-boosting victory for the employers. The employers aim to also depress the morale of the striking workers and the morale of the Greek people resisting the Austerity Front.

Victory to the struggle of the steelworkers

They are mistaken even on this occasion. The climate of wholehearted support for the striking steelworkers extends to all of Greece. The working class, the workers and all the Greek people stand with the steelworkers as has been the case for nine months now.

Our hearts and minds are in Aspropirgos. Their struggle is our struggle. Yesterday, it was Madrid and the Spanish miners. Today is our day.

20 July 2012

This article by Theodoros Patsatzis was published on the website of DEA (i.e., Internationalist Worker's Left) on 11 July 2012. DEA is one of the smaller constituents of SYRIZA. In this article, Patsatzis provides a concise overview of the common minimum programme of the pro-Troika coalition government that emerged from the June general election in Greece, which is primarily characterized by an orthodox neoliberal policy of privatization. Translation courtesy of Azad.

The history of privatization demonstrates that consumers and workers are harmed. Everyone loses, except the new owners, who fill their pockets

by Theodoros Patsatzis   

In parliamentary discussions, privatization has been identified as the central and most immediate goal of the pro-austerity coalition government. The three coalition partners appear set to fully implement the medium term requirements and the second Memorandum, which had been passed by the previous pro-austerity governments. What they may not remember, and should be reminded of, is that such goals led to major struggles by workers and the fall of previous governments.

Privatizations: In reality, Samaras and his coalition partners announced massive privatizations. These include privatization of energy and electricity (DEH), water (EYDAP and EYAF), the post office (ELTA), the Agricultural Bank and its subsidiaries (SEKAP, Dodoni, Sugar Industrials), Hellenic Petroleum (ELPA), natural gas (DEPA and DESFA) and National Rail (OSE). This neoliberal programme was anticipated by the "medium term requirements" and the second Memorandum. Only the timing has changed. The medium term requirements anticipated privatizations generating revenue of 50 billion euro until 2015 while the second Memorandum reduced expected revenues to 30 billion euro. Of these, 4.5 billion were expected in 2012, 7.5 billion by the end of 2013 and the remainder by 2015.   Privatisation is a long-term goal of capitalists. Its leading exponents are supporters of neoliberal politics. Samaras, Venizelos and Kouvelis are the personalities currently embracing such a politcs [1]. They insist that revenue from privatization will be apportioned for the "leaking barrel of debt." Or, at least, this is specified in the Memorandum. Resorting to extortion in order to force the consent of the people, they have raised the question: "privatization or slashing of wages and pensions." Moreover, they remind us of the poor conduct and operations of public agencies.