Greek Prime Minister Tsipras: Move on Early Retirement, after French President Hollande reply to EF

*Strasbourg/EU Parliament/Angelo Marcopolo/- The only real "News" in Today's EU Parliament's Debate with new Prime MInister of Greece, Alexis Tsipras, on the crucial developments still going on, about how to settle the Challenge faced by €uroArea due to a Huge Debt provoked in Greece by Political Errors of the Past, (See: http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/merkelbonn.html) was that he explicitly declared to Accept to Drop a Controvesial Early Retirement schema, which has reached Scandalous proportions, particulary vis a vis over-Taxed Unemployed and Poor People, as well as SMEs, etc, compared to the notorious Clientelism/Nepotism since 35 Year, and costs a lot of  Money non-available Today.

Tsipras' move practicaly Replies Today to what French President Hollande had recently told "Eurofora" in Brussels, when we Asked him, precisely, if he thought that a Concession from Athens' New Government, on that Thorny "Early Retirement" Issue, might Help UnBlock the Deadlock that was Shaking then €uroZone circles, making many People Believe that another Crisis was ahead, (See : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/hollandedropearmlypensionsmayeasegreeksolution.html).

The French President's Positive Reply to that "Eurofora"'s Topical Question during the latest Brussels' EU Summit, finds Today, (less than 2 Weeks afterwards), an Interesting Echo from the New Prime Minister of Greece, speaaking in Strasbourg's EU Parliament's Plenary, as a matter of General Principle.

In fact, it's all about a Key Issue, of Both Moral and Financial Importance, since the Biggest Problem about Retirement Schemes appears to be related mainly to the Excessive Facilities given to a Large Mass of Public Sector's Employees, and particularly those who had been Hired by notoriously Clientelist and/or Nepotist Former PASOkKGovernments, at various Counter-Productive Cushy Jobs, and/or as Political Lackeys, already as early as Since the Beginning of the 1980ies, and who are approadhing Now an Age which allows them, according to a Controversial Retirement Legislation, to revendicate Costly Full Pensions Long Before all Other Employees, (without, naturaly, speaking also about Poor Unemployed People).

So that, Not Only the Greek State (and Society) had been Obliged to Pay during 35 years or so, such CounterProductive Cushy Job Holders and/or Political Lackeys, but, even More, Now they could even Threaten to get, much Earlier than any others, Full Pensions for more Decades to come, obviously Provoking a Rapidly Growing Big Debt, while, on the Contrary, both Poor and Unemployed People, as well as SMEs, etc., would Face more and more Cuts.

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 - Thus, MEPs like Experienced Estonian ChristianDemocrat/EPP Tunne Kelam, felt that Tsipras' "Govenment", despite "having a Strong (Electoral) Mandate", nevertheless, "was Not Willing or Able to come Forwards with any Concrete Reform Programme, including Cutting the Civil Service", etc. Even if "I have every sympathy for Greek Pensioners", however, it's a Fact that, still nowadays, "Greece spends 17% of GDP on Pensions – while Estonia, Ireland and Lithuania each spend Less than 8%", he Denounced.

- "If there is no concrete reform offer in the coming days" in this regard, "the conclusion can only be that Mr Tsipras is not operating ...in the interests of the Greek People, but that he could well be part of a bigger enterprise of Rocking the European Boat", he suspected, in that case.

+ Moreover, the President of the Liberal Group of MEPs, former Prime Minister of Belgium, Guy Verhofstadt, stressed that "what .. you have to do", is "First, End the (Old) Clientelist System". But, "a few Weeks ago 13 Directors in the Ministry of Education had to be nominated, and by accident there were 12 from the SYRIZA Party. There was only 1 of them whose affiliation they do not know.... . You are using the system. You are Falling into the Trap which PASOK also fell into", he Warned. On the Contrary, "You have to Downsize the Public Sector. I know that is perhaps difficult ..., but it has to be done, because there are 800 000 Civil Servants! That canNot work..."

- "You won the elections and you won the referendum. So you are in the position of being the only political leader in Greece who can put an End to that System in Greece. ...you need to come forward with your reform package. ......How do you want to be remembered? ... as a real revolutionary Reformer, in the tradition of Trikoupis and Venizelos? ...., the big Leader between the two world wars, ...a liberal who in fact Modernised his Administration. ....80% of your People Want to stay in Europe and in the €uroZone. So, show what you can do now, and show that you are a real leader", Verhofstadt concluded, applauded.
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    - Alexis Tsipras, while revendicating "the Sovereign Right of any Government to Chose to Augment Taxes on Businesses making Benefits, Instead of Cutting the Bonuses to the Lowest Pensions, i.e. the EKAS system, in order to reach the Financial Targets" set up by Creditors, nevertheless, acknowledged that several Critical MEPs "were Right", particularly about "Distorsions comming from the Past, which Must be Abolished, as, f.ex., the Distorsion of Early Retirements".

    - Indeed, "We Want ... to Abolish the Early Retirements, in a Country which finds itself in a so Bad Ecnomic Position", the New Prime Minister of Greece clearly Replied Today to several MEPs' Criticism in this Direction.

    + As for Putting realy an End to the Old Clientelist System of several Past, mainly PASOK, Governments, already, Experienced SYRIZA MEP, and EU Parliament's vice-President, Papademoulis, Replying to an "Eurofora" Question on this Key issue, in a Press Conference in Strasbourg just at the Eve of Greek National Elections, at the Beginning of this Year (1/2015 See: http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/papademoulistostopclientelismingreece.html), had Promissed that, If his Party Won the Elections, it would put a Stop to that Clientelist Past, and use, instead, Modern Democratic methods, including, f.ex., more Digital Tools, Electronic Communications, etc.

    => Could some more Steps in this Direction really Contribute to realize an Urgently Needed Breakthrough to the Dangerous current Deadlock in the overall Financial Negotiations ? The Next few Days or Weeks will Prove in what degree such a Possibility might become a Reality soon enough, or not.