Greek crisis: Syriza rebels break away to form Popular Unity party

[brooklynite]

Source: The Guardian

Rebels within Greece’s ruling party, the leftwing Syriza movement led by the prime minister, Alexis Tsipras, have announced they are breaking away to form a separate entity called Popular Unity.

Angry at what they see as a betrayal of Syriza’s anti-austerity principles, the 25 MPs announced their intention to form a new party in a letter to parliament the day after Tsipras resigned to pave the way for snap elections next month.

Led by the former energy minister, Panagiotis Lafazanis, the new movement will be the third-largest group in the Greek parliament and could conceivably receive a mandate to try to form a new government.

Tsipras announced his resignation in a televised address on Thursday night. He said he felt a moral obligation to put Greece’s third international bailout deal, and the further swingeing austerity measures it requires, to the people.

Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/aug/21/greek-crisis-syriza-rebels-break-away-form-popular-unity-party

[muriel_volestrangler]

1. Apparently not including Yanis Varoufakis

Greek media reports say 25 rebel Syriza MPs will join the new party, called Laiki Enotita (Popular Unity).

The party will be led by former energy minister Panagiotis Lafazanis, who was strongly opposed to the bailout deal, reports say.

A list of MPs joining the party published by the Ta Nea newspaper showed that the parliamentary speaker Zoe Konstantopulou and former finance minister Yanis Varoufakis were not among its members.

Both had opposed a new bailout deal, with Ms Konstantopulou highly critical of her former ally Mr Tsipras.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-34014083

[Demeter]

2. After Tsipras' betrayal, I'm not surprised

but that's hardly enough bodies for a revolution, which is what it will take. And the people are going to have to be very clear about their support.

The Greeks are passionately attached to the Euro, because they've been screwed over and over by their own political leaders when they were using the drachma. they figured the Germans wouldn't debauch the euro....

But that's not a good enough reason to endure bondage. The proper solution is to get some leaders with smarts, strength and integrity to run the Greek economy. And to find so REAL friends in the global economy...not Goldman Sachs!

[Blue_Tires]

3. So what changes?

Does this new party have some new leverage with which to negotiate terms? Or do they just decide to tear up the current bailout deal and go their own way?

[pampango]

4. "The Greeks are passionately attached to the Euro" In a democracy, that constrains what negotiators

can discuss and agree to.

AFAIK, the only parties in Greece that support withdrawing from the Euro and the EU are the Communist Party and 2 right wing parties - the Independent Greeks and Golden Dawn. None of them have had much electoral success to date though that may change in the future.