newsitems

*Strasbourg/CoE/Angelo Marcopolo/- PanEuropean CoE's Watchdog on Local/Regional Democracy's President, experienced Senator Jean-Claude Frecon, from the Governing Socialist Party in France, speaking to "EuroFora" on the forthcoming Local/Regional Elections in Ukraine on October 2015, which are expected to be Crucial for the Peace process according to the Minsk Agreements, that a Quadrilateral Summit between the Leaders of France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine are due to thoroughly Examine in a Summit in Paris on Friday, endorsed the view that, if a Postponement of those Elections in the Autonomist Regions of Donetsk/Luhansk might Help to Start and Develop a real Dialogue between all sides involoved, on the concrete details of the Future Political Solution to the Conflict, then, that Proposal of Compromise reportedly made Recently by Representatives of those areas, might, indeed, become Helpful.

 

    => In fact, what is Essential to try to obtain in the forthcoming Summit for Ukraine, is to Boost a Dialogue among all sides involved, according to the Minsk Agreements, on the main oustanding issues, particularly concerning the imminent Local/Regional Elections, the Status of the DeCentralisation in the Donetsk/Luhansk Regions held by Autonomists, etc, he stressed to Reply to an "Eurofora" Question in Conclusion, (See Infra).

      - "We (CLRAE) have already said that a kind of (Local/regional) Autonomy for those areas could be a Good Solution, in Ukraine as elsewhere, but, naturally, in the Framework of the Country's Territorial Integrity", President Frecon stressed from the Outset, as a matter of Principle.

    -"This was inscribed (recently) in the Ukranian Legislation, even if some sectors of the Extreme Right, don't like it at all". CLRAE's Head observed, concerning some Troubles reportedly provoked after the Vote of a relevant Draft Law by the Ukranian Parliament, at a 1st Lecture, that President Poroshenko has strongly Condemned.  

    - "But what do they want, in fact : Return Back to the War ?", Jean-Claude Frecon wondered, reminding the Tragic Deadly and Destructive Ukranian Conflict which has stroke since February 2014 that formerly Peaceful European Country, provoking, according to Figures published at the Beginning of September 2015 by UNO's High Commissioner on Human Rights, at nearby Geneva, More than 8.000 Dead, and 17.810 Wounded Victims, many among them being simple Civilian People.

    - "In order to Avoid War, trying to Help People Live Together, and start some Dialogue between them, Hoping that this Dialogue will be Conclusive" for the completion of a Political Solution, "it's simply Better to tell them (i.e. to the Donetsk/Luhansk Autonomists) that you Remain inside the Ukranian Country, but we  (Kiev's Central Government) give you some Autonomy", he resumed in substance.

    - At any case, "we, neither inside the CLRAE, nor in the Entire CoE, we are Not in favor of saying that, Today we have 47 Member Countries, but in the Future we might have, perhaps more than 50 or even 100 ! No, we (CoE) are Not at all for such a thing", he clearly underlined, adiopting a Critical stance vis a vis Various  recent Trends, mutatis-mutandis, also in some Other European Countries, such as, f.ex. in UK's Scotland, Spain's Catalognia, etc., where Popular Referendums for Independence, or not, have been notoriously asked and voted, (however without obtaining yet any Majority of Votes in Neither among them)..

    - Thus, "F.ex., among others, for Catalonia, it was said in substance that you are part of the Country (Spain), but you can Speak the Catalonian Language too". Also in Ukraine, "even if the Ukranian remains the Official Language of the Country, neverteless, in the Regions where the Large Majority of the Population are Russian-Speakers, they are told that they can Continue to use Both Languages, which, by the way, are Not so Differend between them....", he noted.

    >>> Questioned by "EuroFora" about a Recent Proposal of Compromise, reportedly made earlier this Month, by Representatives of the Donetsk/Luhansk Autonomists, to eventualy Postpone for later-on, (f.ex. for February 2016), the Local/Regional Elections due to be held in that area, as also throughout the rest of Ukraine on October 2015, but apparently strongly Contested by Kiev's Central Government, which claims that the Conditions required for such an Election would Not yet exist, or not entirely fulfilled in the pro-Autonomists' areas, CLRAE's Head appeared quite Positive, but under one Key Condition ;

    >>> - "If we can Hope that a certain Dialogue could be established, then, we have to Try that !", PanEuropean CoE's Watchdog for Local/Regional Democracy's experienced Head clearly advised, in reply to the above-mentioned "EuroFora"s Question.

      - "F.ex., if they tell us that we need some Weeks or Months more, in order to hold a Dialogue, then, I think, that Naturally, this should be accepted", he resumed.

     - "But we don't know yet" if it will work, or not. "So, what I'm advising, in substance, is, despite everything, to put, at least, a little of water in the wine", (typical French expression calling for Moderation),  "Even if we didn't obtain something very Big" (in the key promise for a process of DeCentralisation of Power, in exchange of some other concessions from the Autonomists), "at least, we obtained Some Concessions". And, in general, in this as also in Other cases, "you never know if, what Exists Today, might Not Remain for Ever", he Warned all involved.

    + Meanwhile, "the CLRAE, which will hold its Next Plenary Session" in Strasbourg "in 3 Weeks" Time,is due to "Send a Team of about 30 Observers" for the forthcoming Local/Regional Elections in Ukraine, "and there are 10 People more, comming from the (CoE's) Parliamentary Assembly, who Asked to come Together with us", anounced to "EuroFora" the President of the PanEuropean Congress of Local and Regional Authorities (CLRAE). "Because we have a crystal-clear legal Mandate for that", he concluded.

    => Finally, expressing the Wish of PanEuropean CoE's Competent body for Local/Regional DeCentralisation and Democracy, from the forthcoming Quadrilateral Summit on Ukraine, scheduled for Friday, President Frecon stressed that, - "What We (CLRAE) want, First of all, is that they all Sit around the Same Table" for Peace Talks, as he pointed out.

    - "So, at least the Russians and the current Ukranians Government should be there", together with France and Germany. And he acknowledged that, according to the Minsk Agreements, a "Dialogue" on  certain Crucial Key points, must include also Representatives of all sides, i.e. also or the Donetsk/Luhansk areas held by Autonomists, (Comp. Supra).

    -
    - "Naturally, Yes. But we know that this will be Difficult. That's why, even if we might not obtain, right from the Start, a Full Negotiation, but, at least, a kind of Partial Negotiation, then, it could be OK for us", i.e. for the PanEuropean Organisation of Human Rights, Democracy and Rule of Law, i.e. the CoE, President Jean-Claude Frecon concluded in fine, as thing stand Today.

 

*Strasbourg/CoE/Angelo Marcopolo/- CoE's Rapporteur on the "Migration and Refugee Crisis in Europe", President of the Biggest Group in the PanEuropean CoE's Parliamentary Assembly (PACE), that of ChristianDemocrats/EPP, Pedro Agramunt from Spain, speaking to "EuroFora" just after a landmark Debate this Afternoon in Strasbourg, expressed the "Hope" that Europe will, sooner or later, adopt  a System of processing Asylum Demands in the Countries of Origin, and near the External EU Borders.

 - "I Hope" that this will be done, sooner or later, in one way or another, told us, in Reply to a relevant Question, the Experienced PanEuropean Politician, who is normally expected to become PACE's New President, from January 2016, as even Other Political Groups' Heads have just Confirmed to "EuroFora".

+ But "Let's See", at first, How things will Evolve, President Agramunt also Added, carefully, while also Witnessing the Fact that various Other European Political Leaders have already started to advise similar Solutions, including, f.ex., the former President of France, and current Head of main Opposition Party "the Republicans", Nicolas Sarkozy, the Prime Minister of Hungary, Victor Orban, certain German Top Politicians, f.ex. from the ChristianSocials (CSU) of Bavaria, which faces the bulk of the recent Mass Irregular Immigrants' sudden "Tsunami", etc.

Agramunt said that to "EuroFora" on the occasion of a Reminder of the Fact that even a "Joint" Draft for Resolution, initialy Tabled by all its mainstream Political Groups, "Asked (EU) Member States to consider the possibility of Allowing People in Need of Protection to Apply for Asylum at their Embassies and Consular Offices in 3rd Countries", particularly those who are Neighbouring EU's External Borders, also as a "Tool for the Protection of Asylum Seekers".

I.e. by providing "Measures for Safe and Legal Access", according to that "Joint" D EU Parliament's Draft Resolution's text, other than Risk their Lives in Dangerous and Controversial Attempts to f.ex. cross Seas, etc. in order to Enter the EU irregularly, becoming also Victims Exploited by unscrupulous Smugglers linked to various Criminal Netwoks, as it was Discussed, also Earlier Today, at a CoE-sponsored "Hearing" organized on the Sidelines of PACE's Plenary Session by its "Committee on Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons",  in the Context of a relevant Report prepared by Liberal MEP fIrakli Chikovani from Georgia, on "Organized Crime and Migrants",  with the Partipation of Key Experts both from EUROPOL and UNO's Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

 

- "We (European Countries) Need to Move towards a System in which Asylum Requests are processed in the Regions of Origin", cleary Stressed Presidenty Pedro Agramunt, as he also pointed out earlier this Afternoon at PACE's Plenary, where he had been "Chosen by the Bureau" of the Paneuropean Parliamentary Assembly's Leaders, to Open officialy its Debate on Migrants and Refuges' Crisis in Europe, in which was invited to participate also Italian National Parliament's President Laura Boldrini.

 

+ This (i.e. the "Processing of Asylum Demands at the Regions of Origin", Comp. Supra), should be also completed "at  the External Borders of the EU", in order to "Regularise the Process and Mitigate the Risk of those People Falling into the hands of Criminal, Human- Smuggling Networks", Agramunt explained on that same occasion.

- "We warned years ago that if Europe did not go to the Middle East, the Middle East would come to Europe. We are duty-bound to defend our external borders and establish an effective policy for humanitarian safety and secure borders", he added

 - "We (CoE) must Guarantee that the right to request Asylum is respected for those who Truly need protection, while Swift, effective measures of Return are put in place for those who do Not meet the conditions for staying in Europe. At the same time, our (European) Citizens Need Protection from possible Infiltration by Jihadist Terrorists", he also Warned, as a matter of Principle.

Significantly, even if in Italy the Summer 2015 Wave of Massive Irregular Migration was radicaly Diverted this Year towards Greece, via Turkey, (See spectacular Official Data, f.ex. at : ...), nevertheless, it's, Paradoxicaly, in the, a priori, Most Exposed EU Country to such Sea and Land Influx : Spain, because of Direct Links to the Biggest and Poorest Continent in the World, with various Conflicts still going on, i.e. obviously Africa, that, howeever, EU's Sanish External Borders have the Least of Irregular Mass Immigration, and almost Not Dramatic Deaths of Fragile People desperately trying to enter the EU irregularly. (Contrary to the Growing Number of such Tragic Deaths towards Italy and/or Greece, via Turkey, etc), simply after the Madrid's National Governement implemented a Secure Fence and Borders' Control policy at its area adjacent to Morocco, where the situation is, notoriously, Much Better, in this regard, than in Greece's area facing Turkey)...

- "We Warned, years ago, that, if Europe did not go to the Middle East, the Middle East would come to Europe !", reminded President Agramunt, speaking also as a Rapporteur of a Recent Visit of PACE's "Presidential Committee" (comprised by all the Presidents of Political Groups), last June 2015, in order "to see, at first hand, the Situation of Refugees in Turkey" . "We are Duty-bound to Defend our (EU's) External Borders and establish an effective policy for Humanitarian Safety, and Secure Borders", he pointed out.

+ Moreover, "we need to ask the European Commission and the member States to set up processing centres in the EU Countries that are on the Front line", he added.

 - In this regard, "the defence of our international Commitments and Values, including the Security of our (EU's) Borders, must be our common Goal", concluded the 1st Speaker of COE's PanEuropean Organisation for Human Rights, Democracy and Rule of Law.

*Strasbourg/CoE/Angelo Marcopolo/- For the First time, CoE's Committee of Ministers asked the PanEuropean Organisations' 46 Member States (including Russia, etc) to push Turkey to respect, at last, a Long Series of ECHR Judgements which have Condemned Ankara for "Continuing" Violations of Greek Cypriot Refugees/Displaced Persons' and "MISSING" Persons and/or Victims' Families' Human Rights, in a Decision taken earlier Today in Strasbourg.

    In the Present Context, this obviously means that, at the same time that Turkey is currently inundating EU Countries with an Unprecedented and Uncontrolled Big "Tsunami" of Irregular Mass Immigration through its Coasts near to Greek Islands, many UpRooted from their Homes by Wars and Conflicts in Syria or Iraq, etc., but others being only "Fake" Syrians and/or mere Economic Immigrants seeking Job/Subsidies' opportunities, (See, f.ex. : ....), nevertheless, Ankara's Government persists to blatantly Violate basic Human Rights of Hundreds of Thousands of Greek Cypriots real Refugees/Displaced persons, even Ignoring ECHR's Judgements for many Years (See Infra), by Continuing to Hinder all those Refugees/Displaced Persons' Return Back to their Family Homes, Private Properties and Ancestral Land, during more than 40 Years now (1974-2015) !

    The concerned ECHR's Judgements have found Violations related to Turkey's "Continuous Denial of Access to Property, in the Northern Part of Cyprus", still Occupied by  Ankara's Army since the 1974 Military Invasion, in More than 33 Cases, according to Decisions published in Strasbourg between 2005 and 2010, as well as "Violations of the Right to Respect for the applicants' Homes" in several such cases, as CoE has reminded.

    + Moreover, CoE's call includes other 9  concrete cases where Turkey was Condemned by the ECHR for "Lack of Effective Investigation into the Fate of 9 Greek Cypriots who Disappeared during the Military Operations undetaken by Turkey in Cyprus in 1974", as Strasbourg's Organisation for Human Rights, Democracy and Rule of Law reminded in addition, referring also to another, landmark Judgement published on 2009, but not yet implemented by Ankara.

    In particular, all CoE's "Member States' Authorities", (i.e. including Foreign and/or JHA Ministries, Heads of State/Government, etc), are "Encouraged" by CoE's Highest Political Body, its PanEuropean Committee of Ministers, "to Raise the Issue of Payment of Just Satisfaction" to the Victims "in these cases", during their "Contacts with the Turkish Authorities", "Calling on them to Take Measures to Pay it".

 

    Indeed, CoE's Committee of Ministers, "Deeply Deplored the Lack of Payment of the Just Satisfaction Awarded by the European Court of Human Rights in these cases" to the Victims and/or their Families, "and Firmly Insisted on Turkey's Unconditional Obligation" to comply. Therefore, CoE "Exhorted ... the Turkish Authorities to Pay Without Further Delay, the sums Awarded by the Court, .... as well as the Default Interest rate".

    Until now, CoE had previously "invited the Secretary General" of the PanEuropean Organisation, former Prime Minister of Norway, Thornbjorn Jagland, to try to convince Turkey, in a Previous Move, made last June 2015, that Today's Decision "Recalls" and reiterates "Once Again", i.e. underlining Turkey's obvious Reluctance to Respect all those ECHR's Judgements, (Comp. Supra), to which was Added Now the above mentioned Extension for the active involvement also of all other CoE's 46 Member States.

    Moreover, CoE decided Today, regarding the important "Cyprus v. Turkey" ECHR's "Judgement (of) ...2001", which has found the Turkish Government Guilty for no less than "14 Violations (of Human Rights) in relation to the Situation in the Northern Part of Cyprus", still Occupied by Ankara's Troops since the 1974 Turkish Military Invasion, that the Crucial Issues of the General Measures which must be taken in order to Stop the "Continuous" Violations of some 190.000 Greek Cypriot Refugees/Displaced Persons and/or of about 1.500 "Missing" Persons and their Families, particularly after also a landmark ECHR's Greaty Chamber's crystal-clear Ruling on the Need to Fully Implement that Judgement, taken more Recently on Spring 2014, will be Discussed by the PanEuropean Organisation's Highest Political body, its Committee of Ministers, at the Beginning of December 2015.

    + Meanwhile, however, according to recent Findings, a Family of Greek Cypriot initially "Missing" Persons, including  a Married Couple, several Young Girls and a Young Boy together even with a new born Baby, had been Shot and Killed, one by one, shortly after the Turkish Military Invasion of 1974, by sly Criminals who still remain totaly Unpunished, (contrary to ECHR's well established case Law), as Ankara still Refuses to open its Army's Archives and make real Investigations in order to find out what really happened to all those Greek Cypriots a.o. who have gone "MISSING" since then and Search to Find and Punish all those Responsible for Horrible Crimes, as ECHR's established case-Law notoriously asks.

*Strasbourg/Angelo Marcopolo/- Today's Electoral verdict by Greek Voters, Unexpected by all Polls, obviously is an Enigma, unless a proper Political Explanation is found, by studying all the Real Facts. But, at any case, a Crucial Question remains open, on whether SYRIZA frontrunner Party should Govern during a very delicate period, and/or take Crucial Decisions on "Hot" Issues, almost alone, i.e. with only 19% of registered Voters, or not...

Nobody had predicted that Tsipras' party, after its spectacular U-Turn on the State Debt issue, smashing Pre-Electoral Promisses for an End to Austerity, would, nevertheless, be credited in this September 2015 snap Elections, with almost the Same percentage of Votes Casted as back on last January 2015, (35% instead of 36%), as if Nothing had happened...

Nor that its main Challenger, Meimarakis' "New Democracy", whose Realistic and pro-€uro stance was apparently proved to be Right, wouldn't practical win back Nothing more from its Past Strength, but only an insignificant + 0,2%, i.e. Stagnating at a  Big Distance of - 7 % Less Votes Casted than its former Leftist Competitor, (with just 28,1% against 35,5%), and Missing by far its aim to Benefit from inexperienced Tsipras' Government's Errors.

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However, PanEuropean CoE's Democracy, Rule of Law and Human Rights' Legal and Political Standards, which have already faced a lot of various cumbersome situations during the Strasbourg Organisation's 66 Years of Experience, particularly throughout its 47 current Member States, might Advise Greece, as any other European Country, against Risking to Govern basicaly alone with only about 19% of registered Voters :

I.e. the Real Score of Today's Frontrunner Party SYRIZA (Left) in a crucial National Election, due to conclude and apply a more than 85 Billions € worth €uroZone Deal on a too Greedy Public Sector's Huge Debt, which notoriously bears a Heavy Burden on Productive Private Businesses (including SMEs, Private Education, Agriculture, Islands, etc) but also on Poor and/or recently Impoverished People, (f.ex. via Growing Taxes on Homes, Health Care, Clothes, Food, etc), mainly in order to continue paying the Cost of a Disproportionate Number of State-controled Employees, appointed by Clientelist/Nepotist Governments in the last 30+ Years (1981-2012+), even on 2015,  since nobody among the current mainstream Political Parties dares to really make the Necessary Reforms until now.

Because, in Fact, well beyond False Appearances, SYRIZA's Young Chief's assurances that he Tried to do the Best Possible Deal, but, given the current circomstances,  most other EU Government's stance didn't allow to do better than a Controversial Deal with a lot of Austerity, in certain points even more than until now (f.ex. on VAT's and other Taxes' huge Increase, augmentation of an already Huge State Debt, etc), did not convince more than about 19% of the Registered Voters, since a Record High Abstention of 44+% (i.e. almost with 1 out of 2 Greek Citizens curiously Abstaining : Something Never seen before, to which must be added also the "Blank/Invalid" Votes, Lowering real Participation to Less than 54%), obliged the Out-going Government to Lose more than - 326.000 Voters, compared to January's previous Elections, and become, in Reality, a Minority among the Greek People...

However, it's No more enough for Tsipras to have already Manouvered Smartly in the Recent Past, by succesfully proposing as Greece's New President a former "New Democracy"'s Minister, University Professor of Law Prokopis Pavlopoulos, as well as to have made a Coalition with the small "Independent Greeks" Party, from the Right side of the political spectrum, as he had done since Last January, in order to Hope, also  from Now on, to Stay for a Long Time in a Government backed Today only by a Minority of about 19% of Registered Voters, with Less Votes and Less MPs than what he had before...

Comparatively, even an Experienced former PASOK Government, headed by mainstream, long-time Politician Giorgos Papandreou, who had Won 44 % of Votes in a previous Election backed by a 71 % High Popular Participation on 2009, was notoriously Obliged to Quit and Give up Power in only 2 Years Time, on 2011, after Popular Uprisings against his policies. And despite having Won even 2 National Elections in a row, both back on 2004 and on 2007, Center-Right's former Prime Minister Costas Caramanlis, "New Democracy"s Chief since 1998, had also been pushed to Resign anew and vainly Call for a Fresh Electoral Mandate just 2 Years Later, on 2009, this time because the Global Crisis had started to reveal the Country's Huge Debt, comming from the 1980ies, that former PASOK Governments had notoriously "Hidden" under some Goldman Sachs' SWAPS since 1998-2002, added to False EuroStat Statistical Data, etc.

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But, How to Explain the Unexpected dimension of "New Democracy"s peristent Failure to take Today Credit from the Fact that its Realistic, Sober and "Serious" stance was proven Right, (See above), despite its Experienced Chief, Meimarakis' (a former Minister of Defence, f. Secretary General of the Party, and f. President of the National Parliament, etc), quite Kind and almost "Friendly" Criticism of Tsipras, with whom he declared that he wanted to Cooperate in a Coalition Government in the immediately foreseable Future, while also Calming Down Political Tensions, despite crystal-clear Differences, and, above all, insisting on the current Need for a Solid National Unity of all pro-€uro Parties, while also Treating in public almost Everybody, even Total  Political Adversaries, with an elementary Respect, (something naturally Good for Democracy) ?

    The most probable Explanation, given all the Facts, obviously is that Greek People, even if they might have found both main Competitors as rather "Sympathetic" (according to Meimarakis' Wording for Tsipars) Human Persons, regardless of their respective Real Qualities, Errors and/or Insufficiencies, nevertheless, in their Large Majority of Registered Voters, they Wanted anOther Policy, a Substantialy Differend one, that they Didn't Find in almost anyone among the main Political Parties currently present in Today's Electoral Competition.

    => Indeed, a converging series of Facts clearly indicate that Greek People pronounced themselves Against continuing a Controversial and Inefficient "CoHabitation" with a "GroKo" that would bring anew Together both the Right and the Left mainstream Parties, condemning all others to the Margins : Their Experience of such a move, from December 2011 until January 2015 : Something which had a Heavy Cost for the Center-Right "New Democracy" Party of former Prime Minister Samaras, Falling from More than + 40% back on November 2011, when he still was in Opposition and Challenged PASOK for the Government, down to around some 20%-30% only, since then, with various among ND's Voters splitting into 3 other Break away Groups :  Towards "Golden Down"'s Rightists,  "Independent Greeks" Right, or becoming really Non-Aligned, if not Quitting Politics...         

 This time, except from a Small Gain of 1 or 2 MPs by "Golden Dawn"'s Rightists, (credited now of 7%, i.e. just +1% more and keeping their position as 3rd Party in nowadays Greece), it's obviously towards an Unexpectedly Huge Abstention, that most former "New Democracy" Voters went, remaining probably Faithful to their Party (ND), but Refusing to endorse another "Co-Habitation" with the Left side of the political spetrum !             

   Who might eventually Blame them for doing so, when one knows that even the Experienced former French President Jacques Chirac, who had brillantly Won a crystal-clear 2nd Mandate back on 2002, preferred to .. Curtail and Shorten his own Presidency's duration by Cutting it Short for - 2 Years Less (i.e., from 7, as it used to be, down to only 5), just in order to Change the Conbstitution in a way which avoided any more "Co-Habitation" between the Right and the Left sides of the Political spectrum, in the Future ?

    Mutatis-mutandis, a Similar trend seems to emerge also in the USA, where, f.ex. the Grassroots Voters of the GOP Party are notoriously very Upset about several Concessions reportedly made by their Leadership at the Congress, (f.ex. by their current  Chairman Boehner),  to President Obama's even most controversial Socialdemocrat policies.

    At the same time, Greek People obviously were Not convinced, at least until Now, no more by the Break away Leftists of Lafazanis' "Popular Unity", all Former SYRIZA MPs, (including even some among the most Publicized Figures in the Media, such as former MEP Manolis Glezos : an Historic "Icon", the pittoresque and turbulant former Parliament's President Zoe Constantopoulou, or the Favorite of all Paparazzi : former Economy Minister Varufakis, and the only New Revelation : the Young and Combative Rachel Makri, etc), who, astonishingly, didn't manage this time to Cross the Minimal Threshhold of at least 3% of Votes Casted in order to have some MPs :

    With the Exception of Glezos, Rachel Makri, etc., indeed, even former SYRIZA "Heavy-Weights" such as Zoe Constantopoulou, or Varufakis, etc., had, indeed, also a more or less "Heavy" Past compromised with former "PASOK" Socialist Governments belonging now to History, (Varufakis as simple Counselor, but Constantopoulou's Mother as a Giorgos Papandreou - Appointed Chair of the National Radio-TV Authority, since back on 2009, etc), so that this Hastily composed Group, made up at the Last Minute, just before the September 2015 Elections, apparently wasn't yet Credible to Greek Citizens, taught by a lot of experiences to become, generaly, quite Distrustful...

    In addition to the Fact that, these Fast Snap Elections, had been notoriously designed also in order for Tsipras to precisely get rid of most "Leftists" until then inside the SYRIZA Party, before they might have enough Time to ReGroup and gather Political Force,

    it was, indeed, also Too Much to ask from the Greek People to Believe, for a 2nd Time in a Row, that SYRIZA would practically play the Role of ...Both the Government, and of a so-called "Opposition", just by Splitting into 2 Parts its former MPs, who always formed 2 variant Groups : A Scenario which had just been Played, just a few Weeks ago, when Tsipras resigned, calling for New Elections, but allowing for Lafazanis' makeshift "Popular Unity" hastily set up Party, to Briefly Snatch from "Golden Dawn"'s Rightists the role of the 3rd Party in Greece, just in order to get a formal Mandate from President Pavlopoulos to try to Form a Coalition Government, which naturally failed.

    However, if one Added Together all the various Leftist Political Groups, (i.e. from "Popular Union", until the ... "Leninists/Marxists", and/or the "Internationalist Communist Party", the Party for the "Reconstruction of the PC", "ANTARSYA", etc, the Total would reach up to More than 6% Leftwards, revealing a non-negligeable Potential for the Future...

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+ "New" Trend ?
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    * But, another Interesting New Trend in these Elections is also the Fact that a Growing Number of Greek People Voted for various Political Parties, very Differend between them, but which have in common at least 1 Crucial Point, (even if they are considerably Opposed to eachother, from many Other points of view) :

    - To Ask for a Drastic Reform of the Greek State, aiming, inter alia, mainly into Tackling, at last, the issue of the notorious existence of Too Many Cushy Job Holders and/or Political Lackeys scandalously appointed during the Past +35 Years by former Clientelist/Nepotist Governments, particularly of PASOK (+1981-2015) :

    (1) The First, surprisingly, are the Populist Nationalist Rightists of "Golden Dawn", (that some used to accuse to have been former "Neo-Nazis"), who, for the 1st Time so clearly, ask, in their Political Program, to "Heal (Cleanse) the Hydrocephalic Public Sector", thanks to the "Immediate Dismissals of all those who were appointed illegaly and without deserving that", as well as to the "immediate Transfert in Productive Workplaces for all those Civil Servants who don't have a Substantial Occupation" until now², so that, in general, "the Hydrocephalic State won't be no more at the Expense of the Greek People, but would Start to Function in a Productive way and for the Benefit of the Whole Society".  It's the only Party which Augments its Votes (for about + 1%, up to 7 %) and gets 1 or 2 More MPs than before, (17 or 18 MPs in all).

    (2) Perhaps even More Interesting is the Emergence of a New, "Centrist Union" Party, which succeeds to cross the +3% Threshhold for the 1st time, with 3,43% of the Votes Casted, aiming to "Change the Agenda of Reforms" mainly by "including also the issue of the Public Sector's Self-Purge" : I.e., for example, "Stop Paying those who don't Work", Dismiss from the Parliament those 1.500 (Civil Servants) who are Parents of MPs", Settle "the Issue of Double or Triple Pensions -because we have 330.0000 Triple Pensioners", 'as well as the issue of Pensioners who Work, receiving More than 1000 €', ("because in Greece there are 400.000 Pensioners Working". And the issue of "those who are Paid without really Working", which requires several "Dismissals from the Public Sector", as reportedly explained the "Centrist Union" Party's President, Vassilis Levendis.

    (3) Last, but not least, former MEP and current Head of "DRASIS" (Action) small but new Political Party, Theo Skylakakis, (who has had often spoken with "EuroFora"s co-Founder at EU Parliament in Strasbourg on such issues, as well as with the Liberal Group's President, former Prime Minister of Belgium, Guy Verhofstadt), has a Similar Political Agenda, about the Need to Reduce the Greek State's Debt by diminishing the Excessive Number of Civil Servants, due to the Clientelism/Nepotism of former Governments (mainly PASOK+) of the Past  +35 Years (1980-2015), among others, also through an adequate Anti-Corruption policy, (Comp. his relevant EU Parliament's Report). Recently, he Denounced, f.ex., those "Early Pensioners, mainly those of the (Clientelist) Corruption of the Decade of 1980ies, who became Pensioners at 50 Years of age and something, (or even at 50 without something), with a Pension of a Thousand €, ... while they haven't contributed not even for the Half from the Pension that they receive". Earlier, he had taken part to the National Elections also together with another Small New Party, "Creation, anew", winning some 100.000 Votes (about 2%), for a First Time, back on 2012, but he didn't participate now. However, as former "New Democracy" Politician, and feeling also as "Centrist", he might join forces Together with ND and/or the New "C.U.", (Com. Supra), in the Future.

    Added also to some Interesting, but not enough developed yet, attempts to move in a Similar Direction, at some moments of "New Democracy"s activities, (f.ex. during the 1st Half of 2013, by former Prime Minister Samaras, including with the Popular Closure of ERT TV, and/or by the Establishment of a Mechanism Checking whether some Civil Servants might have grossly Violated their "Oath" to the National Constitution, etc., all these, various but Converging, Elements might soon create a real New Trend....

    Unless Tsipras marks another "U-Turn" too, in an attempt to take a Lead in that crucial matter, f.ex.  with a kind of  Greek ..."Macron" (as the atypical Economy Minister of the Socialdemocrat Government in France), eager to Stop an over-Exploitation not only of Productive Private Businesses, (including SMES), but also of Poor People, obliged to pay increased VAT, an other Taxes, f.ex. even on their Home, etc;, mainly in order to continue to Feed a too Greedy, but inefficient  State Bureaucracy, notoriously plenty of Counter-Productive Cashy Job Holders, and abusive/arbitrary Political Lackeys scandalously appointed by former Clientelist/Nepotist Governments (particularly of PASOK+) during the Past 30-35 Years (+1981-2015)...

 

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("DraftNews", as already send to "EuroFora"s Subscribers/Donors, earlier. A more accurate, full Final Version, might be Published asap).

 

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