A week removed from a State of the Union Address that many liberals viewed as a rebuke against fiscal conservatism, the Obama administration is now offering only muted applause for a new Greek government that has become the spear tip of the anti-austerity movement in Europe.
On Monday, the White House reacted tersely to the historic victory of the leftist Syriza Party and its Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, who has vowed to cut off further ongoing austerity talks with technocratic members of international financial institutions.
Without once mentioning Tsipras or his political party by name, the White House congratulated Greece on their election, and noted “we look forward to working closely with its next government.”
The administration also stressed upcoming work with the very same institutions that the Tsipras government is casting aside.
“The Greek people have taken many difficult but important steps to lay the groundwork for economic recovery. As a longstanding friend and ally, the United States will continue to support their efforts and those of the international community to strengthen the foundation for Greece’s long-term prosperity,” the statement said.
The State Department did offer congratulations to “SYRIZA and the new prime minister, Alexis Tsipras,” while also stressing the important of Greece “respecting its commitments to reform.”
Although questions remain over how effective and authentic Syriza will be now that it’s in the position to govern, its rise to power was a product of deep dissatisfaction with crippling austerity measures that have depressed the Greek economy for five years, and galvanized the country’s political left.
Yet the White House appeared much more fond of the outgoing austerity regime than the incoming Syriza government. When former Prime Minister Antonis Samaras was elected in 2012, the White House issued a far more glowing statement to mark the occasion.
“President Obama spoke with Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras earlier today. The President congratulated Prime Minister Samaras on his election and on the formation of his coalition government,” the statement read. It added, “President Obama expressed his strong support for Greece and noted the continued solidarity between the American and Greek people. The President welcomed Prime Minister Samaras’ commitment to address Greece’s economic situation.”
There’s been no reported phone call yet between Obama and Tsipras.
On Tuesday, Tsipras’s cabinet was officially sworn in. The administration included new Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis who has been outspoken in his intention to make Greek oligarchs shoulder more of the burden that has been put on working people and public servants since the country’s economic collapse.
“We are going to destroy the basis upon which they have built for decade after decade a system, a network that viciously sucks the energy and the economic power from everybody else in society,” he told a British TV channel.
On Capitol Hill, nearly all lawmakers have distanced themselves from Syriza victory as well. Only Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has been willing to publicly promote—or even recognize–the leftist revolt in Greece.
“The Syriza victory in the Greek elections tells us that people around the world will no longer accept austerity for working families while the rich continue to get much richer,” he said on Sunday. “The top 1 percent of the world’s population will soon own more wealth than the bottom 99 percent. This is wrong and unsustainable from a moral, economic and political perspective.”
The Congressional Progressive Caucus of which Sanders is a member has not, however, made any statement on the issue. The Sentinel reached out to its co-chairs, Reps. Raul Grijalva (D-N.M.) and Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) for comment, but they did not respond.
Meanwhile, another new government is coming into form in Saudi Arabia following the death of its long time ruler King Abdullah. In stark contrast to democratically-elected government in Greece, the White House, the Secretary of State, and congressional leaders are devoting enormous attention to showing solidarity to the new monarch, and pledging ongoing economic and security cooperation with the repressive fundamentalist dictatorship.
On Tuesday, President Obama was in Saudi Arabia meeting with its new leader King Salman. In a statement about the travel plans, the White House did not hesitate to mention the despot by name.
