Chancellor Merkel: Greeks want justice

Statement by Manolis Glezos on the occasion of the visit to Greece by German Chancellor Angela Merkel

On the occasion of the visit of the German Chancellor to Greece we see it as our duty to remind her as well as the Greek Prime Minister that:

1. The great and powerful Germany has no right to abdicate its duties, depriving Greece of its rights under international law, and nor is Greece allowed to abdicate its rights.

2. Violations of international law and human principles of honour and morality are in danger of repeating the phenomena that set light to, and spilled blood in Europe. Recognition of Nazi crimes is a guarantee that such elementary monstrosities are not repeated in the future.

Our people have not forgotten and must not forget. Today, it is not about revenge, but justice. We also hope that the Germans have not forgotten. For people who ignore their history are doomed to make the same mistakes. And it appears that Angela Merkel is leading her country and in particular its most sensitive section, the youth, down a slippery path, addressing the youth of her party she did not hesitate to say that ‘aid to Greece must be related to the duties of Greece.’ And what about the duties of Germany?

One would have expected the Chancellor to show a similar attitude to that of the Allies against Germany when, in 1953, they offered the suspension of debt payments and economic aid, and helped the development and reconstruction of Germany. Greece, at that time, participated in this help.

We do not intend to invite the Chancellor to dinner. In contrast we invite all to visit the Kaisariani Shooting Range to see it today, 67 years after the end of the war, where the grass does not grow, where so much blood was shed. The earth does not forget. And men too have no right to forget.

It is time to add our voices to the chairman of the German Left Party (Die Linke) B. Rixinger who, on the occasion of the arrival of Angela Merkel in Greece, asked her to listen to the voices of those who resist the savage cuts that threaten to deepen the polarization in the country and who warned that Greece is in danger of a humanitarian catastrophe.

We are already paying for this polarisation in my country with the advent of Golden Dawn. Are we going to sit idly by, also waiting to see the consequences of the humanitarian catastrophe? Then it will be too late, not only for Greece, but for Europe as a whole.

Manolis Glezos, 90, is the living symbol of resistance against the Nazi occupation. On 30 May 1941 he was one of two young men who stole the huge Nazi flag that was hanging from the Acropolis. Sentenced to death several times during and after the Civil War, Mr. Glezos spent a total of 11 years in prison. Today, he is a member of SYRIZA (Coalition of the Radical Left).

FASE October 8, 2012

Translation by Revolting Europe