SYRIZA

鈥淭he conduct of a number of EU governments over the past number of weeks has been alarming,鈥 president of Irish republican party Sinn Fein and member of the Irish Dail (parliament) on the outcome of the European Union summit, which ended Greece submitting to a harsh deal. 鈥淭hey have effectively closed down the Greek banking system and held the Greek Government and people to ransom.

Members of the European Parliament show support for Greece against its creditors. "This debate is not exclusively about one country," said the Greece's left-wing Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras in a speech to the European Parliament on July 8. "It is about the future of our common construction."

Supports of the 'no' vote celebrate in Athens on the night of July 5. Leaders of Latin American left-wing governments have congratulated the Greek government and its people after Greece's historic July 5 referendum. Voters rejected debt austerity proposals by Greece's European lenders. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said: 鈥淭he 鈥榥o鈥 vote in Greece is a victory against the financial terrorism carried out by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).鈥
Voting in the Greek referendum.

Streets in cities across Greece has erupted into celebrations as results from Sunday鈥檚 referendum showed voters clearly rejecting the bailout terms put forward by the country鈥檚 lenders.

We, the undersigned, stand in solidarity with the people of Greece and the SYRIZA-led government as they prepare for a referendum on July 5, 2015, on whether to accept the continuation of the program of neoliberal austerity or chart a new course free from the debilitating stranglehold of the Troika 鈥 the International Monetary Fund, the European Central Bank, and the European Commission. We support the call of SYRIZA for a 鈥渘o vote鈥 as the only option for the people of Greece, especially the working classes, to assert sovereign control over the country's economy and their own future.
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras announced on June 26 that a referendum will be called over the bailout deal being proposed for the country by Greece's creditors. The deal is pushed by the "Troika" of the European Union, International Monetary Fund and European Central Bank. Tsipras called an urgent cabinet meeting earlier that day, and later announced to the press plans for the a referendum on July 5. Citizens will be asked 鈥測es鈥 or 鈥渘o鈥 to creditors鈥 proposals. Tsipras has asked the Greek ministerial council to call the referendum.
Thousands protest in Athens against austerity and in support of the SYRIZA government, June 17. Thousands of Greek people took to the streets of Athens on June 17 to reject austerity measures and support the SYRIZA-led government, that day.
For a while in late May, it looked as if negotiations over terms for releasing the last 鈧7.2 billion owed to Greece under its second bailout package with the 鈥淭roika鈥 of the European Union, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund might have some chance of success. The commentary from the SYRIZA-led Greek government's negotiators and from its creditors was of 鈥渇ruitful discussions鈥 and 鈥渕eaningful progress鈥. Greek government spokespeople even spoke of reaching an agreement 鈥渨ithin a week or two鈥, at the latest by the June 18 meeting of the eurozone finance ministers.
Will Greece's SYRIZA-led government reach a last-minute deal with its creditors, the European Union (EU), European Central Bank (ECB) and International Monetary Fund (IMF) - the 鈥淭roika鈥 - to release the last 鈧7.2 billion owed to the country under Greece's second bail-out agreement?
鈥淕reece avoided another financial crisis by paying about 鈧500 million in wages to public sector workers, but suffered another downgrade of its credit rating,鈥 The Guardian on May 16. The payment came with Greece's SYRIZA-led government, that is seeking to break with austerity, locked in difficult talks with its creditors. Greece is seeking to release 鈧7.2 billion in bailout funds to avoid a default and exit from the eurozone.

鈥淎 high-ranking official close to Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said the Greek government is not planning to give in to its creditors鈥 pressures and go against the program they had promised to the Greek people who brought them to power,鈥 on April 16. The comment came amid rising tensions between Greece's SYRIZA-led anti-austerity government and its creditors 鈥 the European Central Bank, the European Commission and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The Greek government said on April 17 that it was releasing detainees in its neglected immigration centers. 鈥淭he people that were there, were living an indescribable barbarity,鈥 said Greek immigration minister Tasia Christodoulopoulou. According to Christodoulopoulou, many of the detainees were illegally being held indefinitely.