A great movement of solidarity with the peoples of Turkey and Syria arose from the first moment in Greece. The KKE called upon the Greek people to express their solidarity with the suffering peoples of Turkey and Syria by supporting the initiatives of the trade unions and the mass organizations. These initiatives include the collections of relief supplies, the participation in blood donations organized by the trade unions that rally in the All-Workers’ Militant Front (PAME) throughout the country, and the participation in the voluntary mission of doctors working in public hospitals and other healthcare workers.
At the same time, burning questions arise: Why do we suffer thousands of casualties in 2023, at a time when science and technology have provided us with the tools to accurately identify faults causing earthquakes and the areas most at risk; when instructions have been given for the safe building of houses, schools and hospitals, so that human lives are not put at risk?
In Greece, despite the KKE’s criticism against all bourgeois governments over the years, there is still no comprehensive plan for earthquake protection based on the protection of the popular strata. That is the main reason for the thousands of deaths after an earthquake.
This situation in Greece, in Turkey, in every capitalist country, is the result of a policy that treats earthquake protection measures as an obstacle to the profits of capital and its state. It is the result of a policy that determines the level of protection based on the interests of big business groups, the “budgetary margins”, and not based on the needs and safety of the popular families.
It is tragic to see the governments of Greece and Turkey providing billions for NATO armaments and squandering the people’s money on F-16s and frigates to strengthen NATO’s southeastern wing and the operational capability of the USA.
They have the audacity to say that they are doing it to protect their peoples, while at the same time they leave them exposed and unprotected, sometimes to earthquakes, sometimes to snow and floods. In fact, they use the excuse that “there is not enough money” for projects and state protection plans and that these exceed the “capacity of the economy”.
We have witnessed this in our country too... And despite the fact that even now, on the occasion of the earthquake hitting Turkey and Syria, there is talk of the possibility of an earthquake hitting Greece, the situation is as follows:
- 75% - 80% of the country’s buildings were built before 1985, i.e. based on old seismic codes (or not based on seismic regulations at all), but governments over time have refused in practice to implement a programme of control and strengthening of these buildings where required.
- In 1999, in the aftermath of the severe earthquake in Greece causing 143 deaths, primary rapid visual screenings of over 85,000 public facilities were announced. To date, 24 years later, not even these have been completed! And, of course, there is no mention or provision for substantial inspections so that a detailed assessment of seismic capacity and the preparation of a repair - strengthening study can be carried out for damaged buildings.
- 50% of the country’s schools were built 25 to 30 years ago or even more, therefore there is need for a significant reinforcement of those buildings and a gradual relocation to new school premises. However, the governments and the relevant ministries have not only failed to complete the inspections and the necessary steps, but have also passed laws to delegate the responsibility for school buildings to the municipalities and cut funds from the budget!
There are preconditions suggesting that the prevailing situation could be different today. However, the bourgeois state and the governments’ policies are absolutely hostile and dangerous to the people and leave them unprotected. They can easily provide tax breaks to shipowners and subsidies to energy groups, but they have never paid a penny for the country’s protection from earthquakes, floods and wildfires.
It is therefore a one-way street for the workers to organize their struggle and demand the protection of their lives and the lives of their children. This needs to be one of the key criteria in the upcoming parliamentary elections that will take place in the coming months and must determine the choice that the workers will make. They are presented with the following dilemma: “Either I risk the life of my family or, the day after the elections, I emerge stronger and struggle for a better life!”. The strengthening of the KKE is a decisive factor in this struggle.
09.02.2023