Johannes Fehr’s speech at the first MeRA25 Congress in Athens, Greece, June 6, 2021
Johannes is a Board Member of DiEM25’s German Electoral Wing: Demokratie in Europa. And he’s also a member of DiEM25’s Coordinating Collective.
Below is the transcript of Johannes’ speech:
Kalispéra Agapités Synodipórisses, Agapití Synodipóri (Dear comrades and friends,)
Imme o Johannes appo to DiEM eíkosi pénte stin Jermanía (I’m Johannes from DiEM25 in Germany.)
It is a pleasure to be here this weekend at the first MeRA25 party congress. I think I can speak for DiEMers from all over Europe and say: We admire what you all have built here. It is inspiring us!
My main message to you today is to assure you that you are not alone. We are building resistance everywhere, in Germany, here in Greece and all across Europe. We are spreading the hope for change together!
Only with a transnational movement like DiEM25 will we be able to be strong enough to face our powerful opponents. Yanis mentioned them on Friday: Deutsche Bank and Fraport to name two examples from my country. Those big business companies operate globally. So we have to face them globally!
In Germany, DiEMers recognise that the German government has used and continues to use its economic and political power to blackmail Eurozone member states like Greece to impose neoliberal reforms and austerity policies. They are protecting the interests of big business instead of the interests of the people in Greece and in Germany. We are aware of the suffering and misery this policy has brought to you here.
And we will work to change it. We will fight to end the policies of blackmailing and austerity! And we will demand that forced privatisations of formerly public companies that were sold as part of austerity measures will be reversed. For example: We will demand that the Greek airports that were sold to the German company Fraport AG will be returned.
And we will campaign for it in Germany and with you here in Greece!
To conclude and underline: You are not alone. We are in this together! We will work to change politics. Together, we will build a political force that is strong enough, so the next OXI will be shouted in Greece, in Germany and all over Europe. So loud that it cannot be overheard!
Sen íssaste móni sas. Masí ímmaste se aftón ton agóna! (You are not alone. We are in this together!)
Efcharistó pu makússate kä kárpe díem (Thank you for listening and carpe DiEM)
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