Economic and geopolitical developments in Europe and the world, SYRIZA’s progressive governance plan, foreign policy and the need for progressive forces to cooperate against the threat of the extreme right dominated the agenda of the meeting held earlier on Friday by SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, at the headquarters of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), in Berlin.

After the meeting, which lasted more than an hour, Tsipras said he had the opportunity to present to the Chancellor his plan “for a progressive government that will assume the difficult task of rebuilding the economy and supporting society, which will restore the rule of law and will leave behind the clientelistic practices of corruption and favouritism”.

A plan, the leader of SYRIZA added that, “aiming at reducing inequalities, supporting the real economy, regulating private debt, targetting foreign investments in order to deal with the huge current account deficit as well as redistributing the resources of the Recovery Fund so as to include small and medium-sized businesses, as well as the support of the social state and especially the National Health System”.

Tsipras also raised foreign policy issues with his interlocutor, stressing, as he said, “the need for Greece to once again become a pillar of peace and stability in the region.” Especially with regard to relations with Turkey, he stated that “we must move forward with a new Euro-Turkish agenda, which will include the Greek-Turkish positive agenda, but with clear ‘red lines’ and the prospect of resolving our differences in the Hague.”