(ANSAmed) – STRASBOURG, SEPTEMBER 11 – Greek Premier Alexis Tsipras told a plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg that Greece is ”determined not to repeat the mistakes that led us to the crisis”.
”We will continue the reformist effort – added the Greek premier – and we will continue pursuing the road of financial stability”.
Tsipras recalled that, ”we are a different country from three years ago, and this is a success for the Greek people as well as a success for Europe that showed the ability to overcome a crisis with a spirit of solidarity and cooperation”.
”We look at the future with optimism, the sacrifices of the Greek people have paid off”, he also said.
”From 2010 to 2014, Greece lost one-fourth of the GDP, unemployment and poverty increased in a dramatic way along with debt, foreign investments evaporated, the economic crisis in Greece also led to a political crisis in Europe”, he continued.
”We brought the economy on the road to development, we showed that a road exists to leave the crisis without destroying the social fabric. We also reached a primary surplus that nobody would have believed possible until three years ago, we ended waste and corruption, today we have left the memorandum of agreement, taking back the place that we deserve”.
Tsipras said he believes ”we have difficult battles ahead, the European elections will be more than a simple election, they will be a political fight on principles and values to defeat extreme liberalism and the nationalist far-right threatening Europe while relaunching a European idea, strengthening unity and solidarity among European people”.
”In this battle, all progressive, democratic and pro-European forces must be on the same side of history and not let Europe go backwards”.
He concluded saying that ”in a Europe where xenophobia and racism are all the rage, Greece has managed migrants with humanity and international laws while other countries were erecting barriers. We have opposed a policy of hatred, we have given a lesson of humanity”.
