European Greens will support a better deal for Ireland – Green leader tells Wexford summer school

“We saved the banks but none of the countries”, says Rebecca Harms MEP

“The Greens in Europe are ready to support all things which can help keep Europe, not only the Euro, together”, said Rebecca Harms MEP for Germany and leader of the Greens/Free Alliance at Green Foundation Ireland’s Carnsore Point summer school this weekend.

She described the European attitude to Ireland as recognising Ireland stuck by Europe throughout the current crisis and promised that the Greens across Europe would argue for a better deal for Ireland so that it can truly recover. She warned against any moves to force Greece’s exit from the Euro and outlined the Green Party’s strategy through and beyond the crisis.

“Ireland has been a stronger country than others during the crisis”, she said. “We see Ireland as a nation with a history of overcoming adversity.  The Germans feel that Ireland has the strength to draw itself out of the swamp.

The Greens will argue for a better deal for Ireland with debt-for-equity swaps and lengthening the IRBC’s repayment terms. It struck those of us in Brussels that in the dark days of the crisis that Ireland, with the Lisbon and Fiscal Compact treaties, stuck by Europe. We see the Irish people fighting the crisis.

Greece is now beginning a tremendous transformation programme. We should not be allowed to kick out anybody. We know how much the Greek people are suffering and if they are sent out the door then why would any other country follow the programme?

Mrs. Harms described Angela Merkel’s response to the crisis as ‘too little too late’. “We saved the banks but not the countries”, she said “now it is time to save the countries’ economies and the futures of their citizens.

She described the recent moves by the ECB as 'buying time' but that they do not address the central cause of the crisis and there is much that is still out of our control. 

The biggest risk in this whole crisis is if we fail to understand that we share responsibility for a better life for all of our citizens”.