“We had the chance today to discuss with friend and comrade Jean-Luc Melenchon about questions that concern the Left as well as the whole of Europe. And we came to the conclusion that the May elections, the elections for the European Parliament on May 25, are a tremendous opportunity for the peoples of Europe to take their destiny into their own hands, and to step on the brake regarding the course of a Europe of austerity, a Europe of social disaster, imposed on us by the priorities that belong with the dominant conservative and neo-liberal forces; indeed, to take control of their destiny by opening a prospect of hope for a Europe defined by social cohesion, solidarity and democracy.

We had also the opportunity to discuss the message of SYRIZA in Greece, namely that the Left can be the alternative which will lead the peoples of Europe out of the crisis generated by austerity, and that this message can be transmitted to the rest of Europe, too. Because the extreme and populist Right presents no alternative to the peoples of Europe; because social-democracy has found itself at a strategic dead-end; because the dominant neo-liberal Right has led Europe itself to a dead-end. For those reasons, the only viable alternative before the peoples of Europe is the Left, with its forces united, and ready to create the pleasant surprise of the European elections in May. Ready to try together to change the balance of political forces in order to be able to re-build a Europe of solidarity and social cohesion.

Finally, we also had the chance to inform each other, to discuss and to compare notes about developments in Greece as well as in France. Greece, as you know, is going through a quite volatile phase, politically as well as economically; nevertheless, already everybody is presupposing that SYRIZA will form the next government. And this is something that is beginning to cause fear among the political establishment in Europe. Now they are looking for a way to present their plans for new loans over the old loans, and for new memoranda if only under some different name. No matter what the name will be of their plans, though, the reality remains the same: that austerity programs do not, and cannot, lead to a breakthrough.

We therefore come to the fore in order to put an end to the austerity programs; but in order for us to be successful it is not enough to have the support of the majority of the Greek people, which we are confident that will be the case in our elections at home. What is also necessary is the support of the majority of the peoples of Europe. It is for that reason that we are counting a lot on the solidarity and the struggle waged by our comrades here in France, as we also count a lot on the efforts made by Jean-Luc Melenchon to succeed in changing the balance of the political forces in a country as significant as France.”