Unemployment: European summer school in Greece The Greek committee of the European Marches against Unemployment, Marginalisation and Job Precarity organised the movement's first "International Summer School" in the northern resort of Chalkidiki in September 1998.
The 130 Greek participants included trade unionists, representatives of political parties and leaders and activists in the country's various social movements. The 40 foreign participants included activists from Turkey, Macedonia, Serbia, and across the Balkans, as well as from Western Europe.
The opening press conference testified to the new dynamic created by the unemployed movement: it was attended by representatives of the left-wing of PASOK (the ruling, socialist party) and the more radical Greek Communist Party. The presidents of two left parties, Synaspismos and DHKKI, attended in person.
The press conference provided an upbeat contrast with another of the day's events - French Prime Minister L. Jospin's press conference with his Greek counterpart K. Simitis.
Compensating for their inexperience with determination and enthusiasm, the organisers facilitated a wide range of debates - on organising the unemployed across Europe, the crisis in Eastern Europe, and the building of closer links between unemployment activists in the various countries of the network.
Flushed with the success of this event, and the growing interest of Greek activists for the EuroMarch initiative, the Greek committee is now trying to organise a train which will sweep through the Balkan countries, bringing a wide range of radical voices to Cologne for the counter-summit to the EU and G7 heads of state meetings.
This is an ambitious project - not just in terms of cost, but given the diplomatic tensions and disrupted transport links that still plague the Balkans
Of course, the Committee's main activity is organising unemployed workers inside Greece. By linking up with the Athens Local Union, which regroups all of the trade union and political left in the capital, the Committee is currently building the core groups which, in the coming months, should create, for the first time, a real Greek movement of and for the unemployed. [GM] *
International Viewpoint #308 February 1999 7