4th SYRIZA-PS Conference / The second day of the conference through the live blog of avgi.gr

Shortly after 21:30, his second day’s work was completed 4th Congress of SYRIZA-PS in Tae Kwon Do, in Paleo Faliro. The speakers’ speeches lasted over 11 hours, with hundreds of people taking the floor.

Watch the second day of the 4th Congress through video and the live blog of avgi.gr:

M. Xenogiannakopoulou: SYRIZA-PS is here and sends a strong message to society

Our conference takes place in extremely critical period for the country and the peoplewith an ongoing crisis at all levels (accuracy, energy, farmers’ mobilizations, coup d’état on the issues of the rule of law and the cover-up of the crime of Tempe, the discrediting of the NHS, the marginalization of small and medium-sized enterprises), said Marilisa Xenogiannakopoulou, stressing that “today the political and social need for a strong, credible, alternative progressive proposal against what society is experiencing”.

He said that the conference has a double meaning. After a period of great and difficult developments we decided together to turn a page and make a restart, he said, noting that the 150,000 participants in the internal party elections showed that there is a living report of SYRIZA in society. He emphasized that it is crucial for a strong SYRIZA-PS to express society’s anxiety in modern terms and give a way out with a progressive government. He emphasized that the second important thing is that “we are sending a message that SYRIZA-PS is here and sends a strong message to society”. The third, he continued, is that through the procedures that will be decided by the conference for all that the president said. “In any case, SYRIZA with its democratic processes is present”, he noted.

M. Xenogiannakopoulou said that the text of the positions is not a government program, it is a political text. He noted that it is important that SYRIZA-PS, after defeat and introversion, comes with it to confirm its identity as a party of the modern left, from the left to the progressive center, addressed to every progressive democratic citizen who wants a progressive change in the country. “We confirm our identity, our basic values ​​of freedom, peace, equality, social and economic democracy, solidarity, the values ​​of protecting the environment and culture. And all this at the same time as confirming our social references, in the world of work, the new generation, the agricultural world, healthy entrepreneurship, the socially weak, the retired”.

In view of Wednesday, February 28, “a day of remembrance for the crime of Tempe and the great strike of ADEDY”, he called for everyone to participate actively together with the workers, just as on April 17 in the great 24-hour strike of GSEE. “To restore our relationship with this new social majority we must be where the heart of society beats, with the world of work and production,” he said.

He also mentioned that with Thesis “we are also doing something else, self-criticismwhich does not intend us to self-flagellate but is a political process of reflection to be able to face the mistakes”.

Finally, M. Xenogiannakopoulou pointed out that it is a “critical juncture for our area and the wider progressive area” and that never since the Post-colonialism had the area suffered such a subsidence. He noted that therefore: it is crucial through our procedures that will be decided at the end of the conference, through our participation our ideas and positions and with the live communication relationship, to march in a substantial progressive counter-attack, united in the European elections.

Rena Dourou: Turning point and counterattack conference

Congress turning point but also a counterattack characterized the 4th Congress of SYRIZA-PS by Rena Dourou and added that “our positions are justified and costed”.

Rena Dourou presented the positions on Foreign Policy. He made extensive reference to the first SYRIZA government to note that the SYRIZA foreign policy thread cut it the Mitsotakis government that turned Greece into a “willing partner” and accused it of a lack of a coherent national strategy whether it is for Turkey or the Balkans.

“We realize that the Mitsotakis policy is an extremely dangerous policy. We will not take a step back in defending the country’s sovereignty and sovereign rights while we will seek to resolve the disputes with Turkey on the basis of international law. We operate as a soft power country. SYRIZA takes sides in favor of dialogue with Turkey with clear red lines, without discussion of demilitarization of the islands and excluding any discussion of joint exploitation within the 12 miles” he emphasized. He also noted SYRIZA does not forget the Cyprus issue and advocates resuming negotiations from where he left off in Crans Montana.

For equipment stated that in the government’s 15 billion euro program there is no participation of the domestic war industry. He noted that SYRIZA is clearly in favor of strengthening the country’s defense capacity and gives priority to supporting the domestic war industry and the human resources of the Armed Forces.

In closing, he stated that “in the face of the bleakness of the European way of life and the walls of xenophobia of the extreme right, in the face of the return of war to the European continent, the forces of the left have a strong and historic task: to overcome introversion and pathologies and to build a common front on the basis of a new social contract”.

Nikos Pappas: “Stop the cough of the 41% and the “I do what I like””

The fifth chapter of the position text that has to do with the economy presented by Nikos Pappas. Specifically, as he said, the said text is divided into three directions: the economy and society, the environment and sustainable development and finally the rule of law, with the “pure” goal of sustainable development combined with social justice. Comment, don’t you, that if there is no “social protection”, then we cannot talk about “development” but about “simple GDP growth”.

Criticizing the government of the ND regarding the “overconcentration of economic activity”, he referred to the “great challenges of the time” and accused the ND of “not protecting the environment”, nor “primary production” and cannot respond to the demographic crisis . “ND is mortgaging the future with its policy”he characteristically said.

In particular, with regard to the first direction, he presented SYRIZA’s standing positions on the economy, among others on a “stable tax system”, support of the “welfare state”, “new resources for the insurance”, “regulation of private debt”“public intervention in the housing crisis”, “new role for the development bank” and “redirection of the resources of the Recovery Fund”, as well as “return of PPC to public control” and “protection of primary production”.

Regarding the second pillar, which concerns the environment, he spoke, among other things, of the need to ensure one “fair and inclusive green transition”, for which SYRIZA-PS has a plan, which, as he said, was shown at the regional conference of western Macedonia, which is “tested by Mitsotaki’s policies”. He also referred to the need to strengthen prevention and the resilience of infrastructure as well as to strengthen civil protection, accusing the government of “withdrawing from the Recovery Fund the anti-flood projects in Thessaly”.

Finally, regarding the third pillar of the rule of law, he referred to the resolution of the European Parliament, underlining the need strengthening of “institutional” and “democratic functioning” and “re-establishing the relations between the state apparatus and society”, as well as, among other things, “eliminating clientelism” and “improving the judicial system”.

“There are major challenges from international developments and exogenous disturbances”, N. Pappas said summarizing, while at the same time he accused the ND of “not dealing with crises, but multiplying them”. “There is a need for a coherent, inclusive, alternative, progressive plan which is reflected in the text of SYRIZA’s positions”, he noted and emphasized that “we start from the next day of our CongressI hope with sympathy, with mutual understanding, for the reversal of an unfavorable political climate and with the aim in the European elections to stop the cough of the 41% and the “I do what I like””.

George Tsipras: “Let’s raise SYRIZA, let’s refute any negative scenarios before the European elections”

For where the country is and its economy, but also for the “what party do we want” George Tsipras spoke. He said that the image that the economy has entered a virtuous circle as the government claims is false, and that “what is happening is that social and economic inequalities are widening, public goods are being devalued and privatized, the rule of law is being undermined, the new generation and its rights. All indicators point to Greece being similar to the cases in Eastern Europe.”

He said that “the economic model that dominates today is the model of cheap wage labor, low wages and low cost social services. A great redistribution of wealth takes place because cheap labor is made cheaper by the explosion of prices and precision, the purchasing power of wages is dissipated, and the surplus profits of a few hundred companies soar.” Note that “there is a question of democracy in the country and the recent resolution of the European Parliament is a confirmation of all this”, adding that “the entanglement is one of the major problems of the country and for the economy”.

Speaking about the party, G. Tsipras emphasized that the central goal of the next period should be “let’s put all our efforts in order for SYRIZA to take root in society, to acquire relationships of trust and interaction with all intermediate representation stations. He emphasized that “before that, SYRIZA must open the doors of its Member Organizations to all progressive people, to every democratic citizen who wishes to help participate, from whatever social area they belong to and whatever political past they come from”. “The phenomenon of face control and closed organizations that plagued us is coming to an end. The operation of the O.M. and of the party as a whole must serve this openness and grounding”, he said.

“Party of the members then”, he emphasized, mentioning among other things that this means operation from below but also accountability of the party leadership for mistakes and omissions. SYRIZA-PS is an open, mass, popular party and not a closed club, is democratic in its inner workings. “The collective functioning of SYRIZA, especially at the leadership level, is a crucial element of political unity and democracy within the party, but also of our effectiveness. No executive is above the party. The party simultaneously respects the opinions of each member and ensures a function that these opinions are expressed and synthesized in collective organs of the party,” he continued. He emphasized that SYRIZA is a party on the move that constantly corrects its mistakes, says things as they are called, is not afraid to touch on the wrong texts.

G. Tsipras finally said that “we have a difficult task ahead of us, to raise SYRIZA, to raise our buoy again, to refute any negative scenarios before the European elections. It’s not just us and our history that needs it, but Greek society.”

Dionysis Teboneras: If necessary, we will do something for the common good

“If we need to do something for the common good, we will do it with pleasure because this is how we grew up” said Dionysis Teboneras from the floor of the 4th Congress of SYRIZA – PS.

The member of the Political Secretariat noted that “although chairs and offices were offered to us, we never claimed them. We fight our battles selflessly, we give our ego selflessly. We are not all the same. We come from the bowels of Greek society from the public school and the public university.”

Continuing, he said: “We respect the will of the members so that we do not hunt chimeras. But we learned to participate, not to authorize.”

He emphasized: “We see each other as partners, not rivals. The Left does not produce messiahs and heroes, it produces social role models.”

“If we need to step aside for the common good, we’ll do it with joy because that’s how we grew up” he even added, concluding he said: “We won’t let the left get sidelined. We will become more, a Pallaic front of justice that will breathe life into Greek society”.

Antonis Kotsakas: Synthesis and Transcendence Conference

We want strong ideological and political identitywe will not compromise with a liquidated party, said Antonis Kotsakas adding that “we want a conference of composition and transcendence”.

“Let’s keep the positives from the history of SYRIZA. As a big left we are fighting rearguard battles. We cannot be with everyone and for everyone, we must answer with whom and for whom. The great Left will start from the soil of Marxism and will reach up to fringes her left social democracy».

“The ND is not the ND we knew, it is not the ND of the social right and the Karamanlis, it has mutated into a hard neoliberal party. She has with her a party from the extreme center and one from the extreme right. This constitutes a front. I will ought so do we to assemble across political front. But that doesn’t happen when every party on the left considers it a victory if it does 12% 14%. Since we cannot make a political front let’s create a social front from below».

In closing, he said: “All my life I was with her flag no by flag bearer».

Evangelos Apostolakis: The conference is an opportunity for reorganization

As retraining opportunityto express positions and opinions, “to move forward with the world united”, characterized the conference of SYRIZA-PS the State Member of Parliament Evangelos Apostolakisspeaking of an opportunity for recovery with the possibility of applying our values ​​and ideas and “with the aim of a better and more optimistic tomorrow”.

He himself spoke about the “vast geopolitics turbulence and rearrangements that take place around us”, noting that in our interconnected environment it is impossible to leave us unaffected.

He also added that they should be taken seriously ethnic differences in the area of Western Balkans (Kosovo Bosnia-Herzegovina) but also the occasional nationalist outbursts of our northern neighbors.

Referring to Turkey noted that “in order to compel its adversaries to behave in the manner desired for its interests, it does not hesitate to make threats of the use of force and pretexts for war, aggressive actions, means of military diplomatic and economic enforcement, overflights, Navtex, anti- Navtex, NOTAM, which aim to question the sovereignty and sovereign rights of our country in the Aegean and the eastern Mediterranean”.

For Cypriot he pointed out that it is an issue of utmost importance for the country while he emphasized that the armed conflict in Gaza was added to the complex geopolitical situation. “Continuous pressure from the international community is necessary to give peace a chance. Our position in SYRIZA is clear: there is only one solution. The creation of two states according to the resolutions of the UN, of ’74, of ’13 with Jerusalem as its capital”, he pointed out.

As regards to roll which are called to play the Armed forces of our country emphasized that “this one will be twofold: “firstly they must function as a pillar of deterrence, i.e. defensively, ensuring citizens the goods of peace, freedom and security and secondly they must function as a component of foreign policy through military diplomacy ».

He noted that the equipment and modernization of the Armed Forces within this geopolitical situation is necessary, stressing that “but this does not mean that in order to achieve this we will not follow specific principles and conditions”.

It specifically stated that “specific criteria should be taken into account: firstthe prioritization of requirements. Secondlyrecommendations of the staffs. Thirdly the use of technological developments to consolidate conclusions from recent military conflicts. Fourththe involvement of the domestic defense industry.

» The country should have self-sufficiency to be able to support the defense systems and for the ED not to become a simple customer of foreign defense industries, for there to be added value for the country, defense finances but also through the creation of quality jobs”.

The program of round tables

At the same time, today they also start the round tables. Here is the detailed program for Friday:

HALL A’

13.00 – 15.00 – Environment – Climate Crisis and Adaptation

Coordination: Rena Dourou, member of the PG SYRIZA-PS responsible for the Environment, Climate Crisis and Energy policy, Head of Foreign Policy.

-Kostas Grimanis, responsible for energy and climate issues of the Greek office of Greenpeace – Transition to an economy without fossil fuels.

– Giorgos Kavvathas, President GSBEE – Climate crisis and small and medium enterprises,

-Spyros Kintzios, Rector of the Agricultural University – Quadrilateral of fair access to address agri-food insecurity,

-Kostas Lagouvardos, Research Director of the Athens Observatory – Severe weather phenomena and climate crisis.

– Euthymios Lekkas, Professor of disaster management, EKPA – New data for operational risk management planning in the period of the evolving climate crisis.

– Giorgis Marinakis, Mayor of Rethymnon, President of EDEA, Municipal Water Supply and Sewerage Enterprises – Sustainable city.

-Nicolas Farandouris, European Policy Advisor to the President of SYRIZA-PS – European and Greek distortions in the energy market.

Interventions:

-Miltiadis Zamparas, Head of Environment and Energy SYRIZA-PS

– Hara Kafantari, Coordinator of the Environment Department SYRIZA-PS

-Nikos Mademlis, Coordinator of the Energy Department SYRIZA-PS

15.30 – 18.30 – The SYRIZA MP Proposal for Health

Coordination/Presidium: Yiannis Mouzalas Coordinator of the Department of Health former Minister. Keimali Eleni member of the Executive Committee. Health Department Coordinator. Jeni Diamantopoulou, member of the Board of Directors and the health department.

Speakers:

-Andreas Panagiotopoulos Member of Parliament for Achaia, Head of the Health Department of SYRIZA-PS – Health Policy

– K. Katsigiannopoulos, director of the Psychiatric clinic in Lemnos, member of OENGE PIS. Mental health / Island policy.

-K.Leivadas, doctor, director of ESY, member of OENGE and member of the KE of SYRIZA-PS. Hospital and post-hospital perspective, positions of SYRIZA-PS

– F. Karystinaki, nurse, member of the Board of the Association of Prefectural Health Evangelism and the KE of SYRIZA-PS. – 2015-2019 the actions of SYRIZA-PS in Health.

-C. Kaziolas, PHY doctor and coordinator of the OM PHY of SYRIZA-PS – PHY / Public Health in the modern era.

– Th. Konstantinou, rescuer of the EKAV, member of the Prefectural Health of SYRIZA-PS. Strong health system with investment in EKAV.

-Pavlos Polakis, former Minister of Health, member of the PG and SYRIZA-PS MP.

19.00 – 22.00 – For a modern upgraded public Education

Coordination: Kostas Gavroglou, former Minister of Education

Giorgos Tsipras, opening speech, director of SYRIZA-PS.

Despina Sinou Assistant Professor, Associate Dean Sorbonne Paris Nord School of Law

Yannis Mylopoulos, Professor and former Rector of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

Otzakoglou Thodoris, Professor of Secondary Education

Panagis Kasianos, Teacher of Secondary Education

Giannis Drosos, Constitutionalist

Nikos Fotopoulos, University Professor

Isidora Vassilis representative of parents and guardians

Interventions:

-Panos Rigas, member of PG SYRIZA-PS responsible for Education

-Dionysis Kalamatianos, Head of Education Department SYRIZA-PS

HALL B

11.00 – 13.00 – Sports Meeting.

15.00 – 18.00 – Insularity from a source of problems to a pillar of development for our islands.

Recommendations: The work of the SYRIZA PS government in Island Policy in the period 2015-2019. Honorary mention to the late S. Nektarios Santorini. – Specialization of island politics in all areas of the program. – Maritime training.

Speakers:

– Zoi Karkoulia, member of the PG SYRIZA-PS responsible for Shipping and Island Policy.

-Avlonitis Alexandros, Member of Parliament of Corfu, Head of the Department of Shipping and Island Policy

– Christos Lambridis, Coordinator of the Shipping Department SYRIZA-PS

– Giannaka Kaiti, Asst. Coordinator of the Department, responsible for Island Policy.

– Elena Kountoura, Member of the European Parliament.

Spilanis Yiannis, professor at the University of the Aegean.

19.00 – 21.00 – Women’s Assembly (article 31 of the statute)