Below is a selection of recent articles representing different viewpoints, all of which I have found very interesting.
Germany and Greece locked in a mutual obsession - "Instead of advancing European unity, as the euro was supposed to do, people are thrown back on themselves".
Greece needs to start playing hardball with Germany - "These dirty tricks (on the part of the Eurogroup) confirm that Athens is right not to trust the good faith of eurozone authorities".
Greece may have blown best hope of debt deal - "Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras' leftist-led government has so thoroughly shattered creditors' trust that solutions which might have been on offer a few weeks ago now seem out of reach".
Why Europe needs to save Greece - "And yet, as bad as Greece’s economy and political culture may be, the consequences of the country’s exit from the euro are simply too dire to consider. In the end, such an outcome would be the result of a political decision, and the European values at stake in that decision trump any economic considerations".
Lack of trust in Eurozone may frustrate Greek deal - "Eurozone governments have become so suspicious of the Greek government that a grand bargain to solve the debt problem may be politically out of reach".
Greece versus Germany: Dangerous liaisons - "Mr Tsipras is playing a dangerous game. By feeding Greeks’ well-developed sense of victimhood (and the historical claims against Germany have some legitimacy), he is fanning flames that could soon burn out of control. Under Mr Tsipras Greece has been squandering opportunities to make a deal with the rest of the euro zone. If he does not yield soon, he may discover that his chances have run out".
Greece's shoot-the-messenger coalition - "If this kind of rhetoric (of Mr. Tispras) persists, Greece’s European partners may soon conclude there is little reason to keep supporting a country so determined to evade blame for its own mistakes".
Germany and Greece locked in a mutual obsession - "Instead of advancing European unity, as the euro was supposed to do, people are thrown back on themselves".
Greece needs to start playing hardball with Germany - "These dirty tricks (on the part of the Eurogroup) confirm that Athens is right not to trust the good faith of eurozone authorities".
Greece may have blown best hope of debt deal - "Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras' leftist-led government has so thoroughly shattered creditors' trust that solutions which might have been on offer a few weeks ago now seem out of reach".
Why Europe needs to save Greece - "And yet, as bad as Greece’s economy and political culture may be, the consequences of the country’s exit from the euro are simply too dire to consider. In the end, such an outcome would be the result of a political decision, and the European values at stake in that decision trump any economic considerations".
Lack of trust in Eurozone may frustrate Greek deal - "Eurozone governments have become so suspicious of the Greek government that a grand bargain to solve the debt problem may be politically out of reach".
Greece versus Germany: Dangerous liaisons - "Mr Tsipras is playing a dangerous game. By feeding Greeks’ well-developed sense of victimhood (and the historical claims against Germany have some legitimacy), he is fanning flames that could soon burn out of control. Under Mr Tsipras Greece has been squandering opportunities to make a deal with the rest of the euro zone. If he does not yield soon, he may discover that his chances have run out".
Greece's shoot-the-messenger coalition - "If this kind of rhetoric (of Mr. Tispras) persists, Greece’s European partners may soon conclude there is little reason to keep supporting a country so determined to evade blame for its own mistakes".
GREECE
ReplyDelete"Greece" is a collective of those, on this moment, of who we (EU) may consider as those Greeks that support this government.
WHERE are the polls, so incredible popular BEFORE this government started to "govern" Greece? And I am convinced that even IF there are polls, that they are manipulated, falsified.
My trust in this Greek government is 0,0%
So: WHAT is GREECE on this moment?
REFERENDUM
There should be a referendum, as soon as possible, to vote for
a. an interim government, under the leadership of Samaras, because he is a reality-experienced professional, knows how things work, or not, and he knows in the meantime which politicians could help, or not.
b. to vote for a Grexit: a pro Tsipras.
Because Europe cannot make appointments with him and his government.
TIME TO GET SERIOUS
It is not time to get serious, as Alexis Papachelas wrote in Ekathimerini, today, it is FAR too late for being serious. It is time for an Emergency Call.
It is time to DO something. One is not asking to another one if it might be time to get serious, when somebody is drowning.
WHO IS DROWNING?
To be clear again: Europe is not drowning, Greece is.
But they pretend as if they can swim while they cannot, and they prove they cannot, with their FinMin and PM, who traveled around the world in 80 days to find some money to avoid this drowning.
They, both of them, once will be accused for all the evil that has followed and will follow out of their way of "governing" and working with Varoufakis' gametheory: the filthiest one wins.
THE GREEKS AND THEIR FUTURE!
WHAT does the word "win" mean, FinMin and PM?
WHAT are you willing to sacrifice to achieve your goal: winning your political poker game?
The Greeks and their future?
An exclamation mark fits better, it is not a question anymore.
The Greeks and their future!
Antoinette: Although I share your opinion that Syriza government has not lived up to their promises - which btw obviously can not even be realized by a holy power - I do not see the situation as black as you do.
DeleteI expect the Greek state to default pretty soon an Grexit before July 1st, 2015. This will not be that big horror as many want us to believe.
I see that as the only way how proud Greece can regain self esteem and decide themselves how to go on.
If everything depends only on their own decision, they will start to be motivated to implement themselves those reforms they refused in the past.
H.Trickler
These samples prove my comment made in
ReplyDeletehttp://klauskastner.blogspot.ch/2015/04/dismantle-task-force-for-greece.html
They all pretend publishing the ultimate truth while in reality they promote what they think enhances chances for their hidden agenda...
H.Trickler
H. Trickler: I agree.
ReplyDeleteSo ... would you recommend a family with kids to spend they holidays in Greece this summer?
I was happy that last spring I could spend almost 2 months in beautiful Greece traveling by camping car.
DeleteThis summer I would not be afraid to do that again, but imho it would require to have enough Euro cash at hands because you never know if the credit card still works.
I would be careful in big cities the same way as I am in the rest of Europe: If ever I see a mass of people I do not approach them to see from close what they intend to do :O
If you travel by plane it might be possible that the return flight gets delayed a few days at worst.
H.Trickler
PS: Klaus is in a much better position to answer this question!
@ Anonymous at 6.54
DeleteI think you and your family would be missing something if you didn't spend your holidays in Greece this year (or ever). Perhaps a little more cash on hand than usual but that would be about it. If you fly, make sure you get insurance for cancellations, etc. And, by all means, don't leave home without your credit card.
Here a publication proving my point that it is the fault of the previous Greek governments that they now have a humanitarian crises.
ReplyDeleteHigh VAT and taxes per household dragged low income people into poverty while middle and upper class had much less reduction of their income.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2015/04/10/greeces-poor-are-back-to-where-they-were-in-1980/
H.Trickler