The Greek people know that the course of the country is doomed. At the same time, however, the Bailout process has succeeded in persuading many that there is no alternative to this course that is bringing Greece to its knees. Nothing threatens democracy, and the country, more than this feeling of resignation and depression.

The only antidote to the paralysis and the acceptance of the country’s systematic desertification, with thousands of young people leaving every month, is the realistic, responsible, concrete, radical proposals for what should and can be done on Monday morning “in order to immediately abolish the Debt Colony, and revive the Republic of Greece”. These are the proposals MeRA25 puts before you in its Electoral Programme for national and European elections.

The MeRA25 Programme sets out what specifically needs to be done specifically in every area (from the economy to international relations, culture, education, etc.) setting aside political costs and emphasising innovative policies that together form an organic, programmatic total.

MeRA25’s Programme has three main features that differentiate it from proposals of other parties:

1. Differentiation from the Memorandum Alliance promises (eg. radical reduction of tax rates, substantial support for weak citizens) that, in order to be materialised, requires a rupture with the creditors that the Memorandum Alliance refuses to consider.
2. Our position is that the only way to be responsibly Europeanist is through a rupture with the lenders – which is why MeRA25 is an integral part of the first trans-national, single, pan-European movement, DiEM25, whose members contributed to the Programme from all parts of Europe and the world; something unique in European political history.
3. MeRA25 aims to socialise privatisation, education, culture, and important local and regional issues, etc. through the establishment of permanent Consultative Assemblies of Selected and Allotted Citizens that will be staffed in a way that makes them representative of society and secures citizens’ interests from those of corporate, oligarchic and party interests.

Breaking down the Debt Colony | indicative economic and social policies:

Maximum VAT and tax rate for small and medium-sized enterprises = 18% | 50% of profits in total contributions and taxes to small and medium – sized enterprises. Abolishing tax prepayment. Moratorium for all insurance contributions and taxes for startups. Bank levy of 0,2% on bank debts to support pensions. EUR 800 minimum wage. Reform of independent work. Establishment of a Public Digital Payment System and provision of a Minimum Guaranteed Income of EUR 400 per month for each family. Establishment of a Public Debt Management Company (“red loans”) with abolition of auctions | Establishment of a Cultural Hellenic Fund for Artists and a Promotion Agency for Greek Cultural Products | 2% tax on digital communication devices to counterbalance piracy. Conversion of the Privatisation Organisation into a Greek Development Bank with cessation of all privatisations | New condition for Golden Visa: offering 10 new full-time jobs and restrictions on rent.

Return of Democracy | indicative institutional reforms:

We all know that the state policy on education, media, etc. is failing because the ministries are being swayed by the interests of the oligarchy, trade unions, party politics, and other local interests. At the same time, privatisation not only does not solve, but actually worsens the problems. For this reason MeRA25, will institutionalise the transfer of decision-making to society through a new institution: the Consultative Councils of Allotted and Elected Citizens. MeRA25 believes that no government can bring the educational revolution needed. In order to ensure the uninterrupted, continuous educational reform necessary, the Council for Learning and Education, which consists of 300 members: 100 to be allotted from the active teachers (10 from kindergartens, 30 Primary School teachers, 30 High school teachers, 30 university academics), 100 will be allotted from the general population of the country (all with two-year terms), while the remaining 100 will be nominated by parliamentary parties according to their electoral power. Commitment of the new participatory institution to the elaboration of the education policy. Corresponding institutions will democratise, and upgrade, policies on culture, media, local and regional government. At the same time, new participatory institutions will elect the Supreme Judges, control the Universities, prepare constitutional reviews, etc. while Parliamentary Immunity will be abolished and a Corruption Prosecution Body will be established.

2015 will not be repeated:

The MeRA25 Programme will be legislated without any prior consultation with the lenders. “But if we do this, will they not eject us from the Euro?”, we hear the internal troika supporters ask.

We respond as follows:

1. It would be best for the lenders, since Grexit would cost them about EUR 1 trillion (with the already degraded situation in Italy, escalating as we speak), to accept the unilateral adoption of the key points of the rational, prudent, moderate MeRA25 programme – and not to choose Grexit as a punishment for a Greece that does what it has to do for itself and for progressives across Europe.
2. If MeRA25’s legislation leads to Grexit, we accept it as the second-best option for the country, despite it not being our chosen option.
3. We believe that the continuation of today’s desertification, in the context of the 4th Silent Memorandum and its “Enhanced Surveillance” to be the absolute worst case scenario and we will oppose it above all else.

As an indivisible part of DiEM25, the first transnational pan-European movement in history, MeRA25 is a genuinely Europeanist party and as such considers it its duty to oppose incompetent pseudo-technocrats who are sacrificing Greece – and betraying the European Idea – on the altar of oligarchic interests. We do not fetishise the euro, nor the drachma. But we are determined to liberate Greek Democracy and end our country’s desertification! The regime of the Debt Colony will end. Greece will turn a new leaf. Democracy returns.

(*) For the entire Programme, click here.

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