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On the result of the referendum: Hundreds of thousands of people supported the proposal of the KKE

On the 5th of July 2015, a referendum was held in Greece. The question posed was whether the citizens agreed or not with the proposed agreement, tabled by the EU-IMF-ECB, that will continue the anti-people measures worth 8 billion euros.

The governmental majority of SYRIZA-ANEL rejected the proposal of the KKE for the government’s draft agreement to also be placed before the judgment of the Greek people in the referendum together with the issue of abolishing all the anti-people laws that have been passed in recent years and the issue of disengaging from the EU. At the same time, the coalition government explained that the NO in the referendum is interpreted by the government as approval for its own proposed agreement with the EU-IMF-ECB, which inside 47+8 pages also includes harsh antiworker-antipeople measures, worth about 8 billion euros.

In these conditions, the KKE called on the workers to turn their backs on the false dilemma which was being posed in the referendum, using all appropriate means. The forces of the KKE outside the election centres handed out its own ballot paper to the voters which said:

  • NO TO THE PROPOSAL OF THE EU-IMF-ECB
  • NO TO THE PROPOSAL OF THE GOVERNMENT
  • DISENGAGEMENT FROM THE EU, WITH THE PEOPLE IN POWER

Of course, it was understood that this ballot paper would be counted as a spoiled ballot, but together with the blank ballot papers and the abstention it constitutes a political current that disputes the choices of the SYRIZA-ANEL government and also of the imperialist organizations, with whom the government is negotiating for the needs of capital in Greece.

It should be noted that together with the parties of the coalition government (SYRIZA-ANEL) fascist Golden Dawn also took a position in favour of the NO,, as well as other small nationalist and ultra-left groups, like ANTARSYA.

On the other side, the rightwing opposition ND, social-democratic PASOK that governed until January 2015, together with POTAMI, KIDHSO (the party of the former Prime Minister G. Papandreou) and other smaller bourgeois political forces  took a position in favour of a YES which they stated would be interpreted as being consent to “staying in the EU at all costs”.

 

The final results were the following:

 

 

In his first statements after the announcement of the result, D. Koutsoumpas, the GS of the CC of the KKE saluted the thousands of people who responded to the call of the KKE and did not submit to the blackmailing dilemmas i.e. those that cast the ballot proposed by the KKE into the ballot box, a proposal which the government refused to put to the vote in the Parliament, depriving the people of the right to cast it in a mass way into the ballot box.

He noted that in relation to the dubious question of the snap referendum, a section of the people was able to overcome the entrapment and deception and gave a first response, with the spoiled ballot, and also with the blank ballot, while some chose abstention from this process.

The GS addressed himself in particular to those who chose NO, believing that in this way they could stop austerity, that they can answer the anti-people measures and memoranda in this way. He called on them not to be complacent and not to consent to the government’s effort to transform this NO into a YES to new anti-people agreements. He stressed that the KKE extends its hand to them for the struggles against the deterioration of their lives that will begin the day after the referendum.

The KKE issued a similar militant call to those who chose YES under pressure from the big employers, due to fear about closed banks and fear of the consequences for their salaries, pensions and small savings.

The KKE notes that the negotiations promised by Mr Tsipras, based on his proposal, will inevitably lead to a new worse memorandum.

The situation highlights the necessity of the movement and our people adopting the proposal of the KKE for a pro-people way out of the crisis in a mass and determined way. The KKE will be in the frontline of all the struggles of our people in the following period, strengthening, from tomorrow, the anti-monopoly anti-capitalist line of struggle, the rallying around the KKE.

 

06.07.2015


 

COALITION GOVERNMENT

(25/6/2015)

COMMISION –ECB-IMF

(26/6/2015)

COALITION GOVERNMENT

(TSIPRAS LETTER 2/7/2015)

SOCIAL SECURITY-SALARIES

 

 

 

Pensioners' social solidarity benefit

phase-out from 2018 to 2020

complete elimination by 2019

complete elimination by 2019

Retirement age

gradually increase to 67 for all by 2025

gradually increasing to 67 for all by 2022

gradually increasing to 67 for all by 2022

expenditure on pensions

Saving: 2015 up to 0.5% of GDP, 2016: 1% of GDP

Saving: 2015 up to 0.5% of GDP, 2016: 1% of GDP

Saving: 2015 up to 0.5% of GDP, 2016: 1% of GDP

increase of health contributions to the main pensions

From 4% to 5%

From 4% to 6%

From 4% to 6%

increase of contributions to the supplementary pensions

Establishment of contribution 5% (today 0%)

Establishment of contribution 6%

Establishment of contribution 6%

Increase contributions for the supplementary pensions (employed)

From 3% to 3,5%

From 3% to 3,5%

From 3% to 3,5%

Increase in health contributions (employed)

From 4% to 5%

From 4% to 5%

From 4% to 5%

Social-security contributions (employed)

Increase 1% for employed, 2,9% for businesses

No reference

No reference

Early retirement

Increase of “penalty” by 10%

Increase of “penalty” by 10%

Increase of “penalty” by 10%

Public sector wages

Reduction of “wage costs” from  1/1/2016

Reduction of “wage costs”  from 1/1/2016

Reduction of “wage costs” from 1/1/2016

solidarity levy

maintenance and into integration income tax

maintenance and into integration income tax

maintenance and into integration income tax

minimum wage

On the basis of the memorandum law 4172/2013

On the basis of the memorandum law 4172/2013

On the basis of the memorandum law 4172/2013

parafiscal

elimination of noncontributory

elimination of all

elimination of all

clause zero deficit

Suspension of implementation

Immediate implementation

Suspension of implementation-re-examination in the Autumn

TAXATION

 

 

 

ENFIA (New property poll tax)

Remains (at least) for 2015-2016

Remains (at least) for 2015-2016

Remains (at least) for 2015-2016

additional revenue from VAT

0,93% of GDP

1% of GDP

1% of GDP

VAT rates

23% for all processed and packaged foods 13% only for basic food, electricity, hotels 6% for medicines, books, theaters 23% for the rest

23% for all processed and packaged foods 13% only for basic food, electricity, hotels 6% for medicines, books, theaters 23% for the rest

23% for all processed and packaged foods 13% only for basic food, electricity, hotels 6% for medicines, books, theaters 23% for the rest

farmers taxation

tax 13% from the first euro in subsidies

26% tax from the first euro in earnings, abolition of reduced tax rate for petrol

26% tax from the first euro in earnings, abolition of reduced tax rate for petrol

shipowners taxation

maintaining tax exemptions – tax on “tonnage”

eliminating tax exemptions

No reference

increase tax rate on businesses

From 26% to 29%

From 26% to 28%

From 26% to 28%

PRIVATIZATIONS-LIBERALIZATION

 

 

 

Energy

maintain law for small DEI(Hellenic Public Power Corporation)-Enhancement of competition Review electricity bills based on costs

maintain law for small DEI(Hellenic Public Power Corporation)-Enhancement of competition Review electricity bills based on costs

maintain law for small DEI(Hellenic Public Power Corporation)-Enhancement of competition Review electricity bills based on costs

ADMIE (Independent Power Transmission Operator)

No reference

Separation from DEI-privatization

Separation from DEI- privatization with government majority ownership

Natural gas

liberalization of market by law

liberalization of market by law

liberalization of market by law

REVENUE-SPENDING

 

 

 

primary surpluses

2015: 1%, 2016:2%. 2017:3%

2015: 1%, 2016:2%. 2017:3%

2015: 1%, 2016:2%. 2017:3%

Supplementary state budget

Immediate tabling in parliament for approval

Immediate tabling in parliament for approval

Immediate tabling in parliament for approval

Fiscal Council

Automatic “cutter” in the instance of deviations

Automatic “cutter” in the instance of deviations

Automatic “cutter” in the instance of deviations

Defense expenditure

reduction of 200 million euros

reduction of 400 million euros

reduction of 400 million euros from 2017

FINANCE SYSTEM

 

 

 

Banks

The private management will be respected

The private management will be respected

The private management will be respected