Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has told the EU Parliament that there is “light at the end of the tunnel” and that any agreement must acknowledge a demand for signs that the country is exiting its debt crisis.
Over the last five years, he said, reforms have been put in place that have been burdensome on the Greek people. “This experiment, we have to accept, has not been a success. It has led to poverty … as well as public debt” Tsipras affirmed.
He said that his nation's public debt must be made sustainable, with reforms that share burdens, create jobs and encourage entrepreneurship.
Tsipras told the EU Parliament that the 'No' vote in Sunday's referendum meant he had a mandate for a socially just and economically sustainable solution to the debt crisis.
He praised the Greek people for a “courageous response” as banks closed and media pressure to vote 'Yes' grew.
“Over the same period, Greece has been involved in negotiations … We also had the obligation to repay to the same institutions … And that money was taken from the resources of the Greek people.” the Greek PM said.
Tsipras further added that his country has got to the verge of bankruptcy, because for many, many years, the previous governments “have strengthened the hand of corruption, have created a nexus between the political and economic power.”
“We must be able to implement the priorities of our government,” he says, referring to the crackdown on corruption and restructuring the economy.
“Europe finds itself at a crucial crossroads. What we now call a Greek crisis is only the inability of the euro zone to find a solution to the debt crisis. This is not a Greek problem but a European one, and European problems require European solutions.”
“Europe’s history is one of unity, and not conflict. This is why we speak about a united Europe. All of us have taken the measures of this crisis, and I believe together we can rise to this challenge.”
The Greek PM expressed his confidence that a solution would be found to the Greek crisis “We must find solutions to the real problems, however difficult these solutions may be” he said.