Leaders of the new Greek government of the Coalition of the Radical Left, or SYRIZA, retreated from their commitment to reverse years of austerity inflicted on the country with an agreement with the Eurogroup to extend Greece's financial bailout.
The Memorandums requiring a program of drastic austerity measures that previous governments signed have plunged Greece deeper into an economic depression and social crisis. SYRIZA emerged on the Greek political scene three years ago with its close second-place finish in national elections, based on its promise to oppose the Memorandums and reverse austerity. But the deal with the lenders agreed to by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis maintains the Memorandums in all important respects.
The following is a statement of the Red Network, an alliance of socialist organizations that is part of the Left Platform within SYRIZA, challenging the concessions made in the government's deal with the Eurogroup, and calling on the left to support a call for SYRIZA to return to its commitments to oppose the Memorandums and to reverse the austerity agenda.