Ahead of the September 20 general elections, political leaders of Greece’s seven major political parties engaged in a televised debate yesterday (Sept. 9): the ex prime minister Alexis Tsipras from the leftist SYRIZA party, his main electroral rival Evangelos Meimarakis from New Democracy party, Popular Unity leader Panagiotis Lafazanis, POTAMI head Stavros Theodorakis, Communist Party leader Dimitris Koutsoumbas, Independent Greeks leader Panos Kammenos and PASOK leader Fofi Gennimata.


Tsipras reminded  how hard he negotiated with Greece’s lenders these past six months, addmited some mistakes in the negotiations and that he wasn’t able to implement part of the pledges he had made, but insisted that the battle to change things will continue, calling on voters to end with the past and move forward. Meimarakis accused SYRIZA of wrecking the fragile recovery that that the previous ruling ND coalition had achieved and urged Greeks to vote for his party to complete the unfinished work and to attract the necessary investments.  He repated his intention to seek a broad coalition to implement the agreed bailout measures if his party wins the elections, inviting Mr. Tsipras for discusions. 

Lafazanis defended his proposal to return to a national currency to boost production, exports and liquidity, dismissing the austerity and memoranda as disastrous. Theodorakis said the support of his party could not be taken for granted and called for a coalition government that will offer solutions to the country’s problems by reviewing and evaluating the public sector, stoping statist practices and encouraging exports. Koutsoumbas opposed Lafazanis calls for a pre-election alliance, differentiating his party’s stance towards the European Union and Grexit appoach. He also pointed to  the national wealth of the country which may provide work for everyone and a better future in a socialized economy and with a unilateral debt cancelation. 

Kammenos said his party proved that national conciliation is possible by cooperating very well with SYRIZA, defended the signing of the bailout deal as the only way to remain in the European Union and save the Greek banking system and called for incentives and lower taxation to increase revenues for the state and for a stable tax system to secure investments. Gennimata criticized the government's seven-month in office, which turned surpluses into deficits, emptied out welfare funds and brought the country to the brink of Grexit and catastrophe. She said her party has the experience and knowledge to govern and negotiate and deserves a chance to be the catalyst in the upcoming elections. 

Another televised debate between SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras and New Democracy (ND) leader Evangelos Meimarakis is expected to take place on September 14.