Tsipras in Brussels after Brexit shock, Podemos failure
Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras arrived in Brussels Monday night to attend Tuesday’s European Union summit against the backdrop of Britain’s decision to leave the EU and the Spanish election results, which have put a dent in his vision of a European swing to the left.
The failure of leftist Podemos to come second in the Iberian country’s elections “clearly did not meet the expectations” harbored in Athens, according to an aide to Tsipras.
Tsipras’s SYRIZA party had been banking on a second-place success for Podemos to strengthen the front of left-wing forces in the European political arena.
“A leftward turn in Spain would have created a very favorable environment for us and would have signified changes,” the same official said.
Athens, which wants to play an active role in reshaping the outlook of the EU on more progressive premises, insists that the pursuit of notions of solidarity and the strengthening of democratic institutions is the only way to counter the negative trends set off by Brexit.
To this end, he spoke on the phone over the weekend with French President Francois Hollande, who is reportedly mulling whether to convene a summit of Europe’s socialist leaders, including Tsipras, in Paris.
Greece will also be seeking to limit any possible damage wrought by Brexit to the country’s fragile economy and any negative impact on the country’s bailout program.
Tsipras is scheduled to meet with European Parliament President Martin Schulz and may also meet with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker.
