The debt imposed on Greece and its people by creditors directly infringes the human rights of Greeks and is 鈥渋llegal, illegitimate and odious鈥, declared on June 17.
The finding came as talks between Greece and its creditors finished without a deal on June 18. The International Monetary Fund is threatening the near-bankrupt country with default unless it pays the US$1.7 billion it owes by the June 30 deadline.
European Union (EU)
鈥淕reece avoided another financial crisis by paying about 鈧500 million in wages to public sector workers, but suffered another downgrade of its credit rating,鈥 The Guardian on May 16.
The payment came with Greece's SYRIZA-led government, that is seeking to break with austerity, locked in difficult talks with its creditors. Greece is seeking to release 鈧7.2 billion in bailout funds to avoid a default and exit from the eurozone.
About 800 refugees were drowned in the Mediterranean on April 18 when a boat carrying them from Libya, and trying to reach the south of Italy, capsized. Just three days earlier, more than 400 people drowned when another boat on the same route sank. Refugee deaths in the Mediterranean are rising sharply. 鈥淎ccording to the UN and the International Organisation for Migration, 1,776 people are dead or missing so far this year, compared with 56 for the same period last year,鈥 the April 24 Guardian reported.
What does the victory of radical left party SYRIZA in Greece's January 25 elections mean for politics in Europe, at Europe-wide and national levels? Both levels are closely intertwined, and since SYRIZA鈥檚 win have been having rapid feedback effects on each another.
Across Europe, the reverberations of SYRIZA鈥檚 win are being felt with rising force, both in 鈥減eripheral鈥 Europe, but also in the German-led European Union 鈥渃ore鈥.
Leaders of Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France emerged from negotiations in Minsk, Belarus on the morning of February 12, after 16 hours of talks, and announced that agreement had been reached for a ceasefire in Ukraine's civil war.
The conflict has divided Ukraine since the overthrow of the unpopular, but democratically elected, president Viktor Yanukovich in February last year.
Venezuela's left-wing government has congratulated Alexis Tsipras, leader of Greece's radical left SYRIZA party, who won a huge victory in Greece's parliamentary elections on January 25, TeleSUR English reported.
A Venezuelan government statement said: 鈥淰enezuela warmly congratulates the Syriza coalition party and Alexis Tsipras for their historic victory, wishing them success and complete solidarity and support.鈥
Resistance is building in Europe against government attempts to force ordinary people to bailout the failed financial system of 鈥渃asino鈥 capitalism.
After four general strikes in Greece this year, and two more planned, strike action is beginning in Spain against planned attacks on public services and welfare.
As Britain鈥檚 political class pretends that its arranged marriage of Tweedledee to Tweedledum is democracy, the inspiration for the rest of us is Greece.
It is hardly surprising that Greece is presented not as a beacon but as a 鈥渏unk country鈥 getting its comeuppance for its 鈥渂loated public sector鈥 and 鈥渃ulture of cutting corners鈥 (as the British Observer said).
The heresy of Greece is that the uprising of its ordinary people provides an authentic hope unlike that lavished upon the warlord in the White House.
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