Mitchell, B. (2015) “Don’t mention the war! er the Troika…“, Bill Mitchell Blog, 26 Φεβρουαρίου. “Don’t mention the war”! was a classic line from the episode – The Germans – in the comedy Fawlty Towers. Basil Fawlty implored his meagre staff to stay silent in case they offended some German tourists staying at his hotel. His attempt at self-censorship failed and led to hilarious consequences. I was reminded of …Read More
Sandbu, Μ. (2015) Four misperceptions about Greece, Financial Times, 23 Φεβρουαρίου. At best, it’s the end of the beginning On Friday, Free Lunch called the eurogroup meeting on Greece “the next of many high noons”, and so it will prove this week. Much like previous “breakdowns in talks” were nothing of the sort, Friday’s “agreement” was not one either. The FT‘s Peter Spiegel gives a quick summary of what …Read More
Mauro, Ρ. (2015) “Greece’s Reprieve: In Praise of Kicking the Can Down the Road“, Peterson Institute, RealTime Economic Issues Watch, 24 Φεβρουαρίου. The melodrama in Greece has produced demands that Athens and its European partners take decisive action to fix a complicated situation once and for all. In fact, kicking the can down the road—as the players did recently to avert a financial crisis—is an underrated and long-standing feature …Read More
Michael Hudson says Greece’s Finance Minister Varoufakis is proposing austerity on the banking class rather than on the working class to balance the budget. SHARMINI PERIES, EXEC. PRODUCER, TRNN: Welcome to The Real News Network. I’m Sharmini Peries, coming to you from Baltimore. The four-month extension secured by the Greek finance minister, Yanis Varoufakis, on Friday came with the condition that Greece provide a list of measures to quell …Read More
Galbraith, J. (2015) “Reading The Greek Deal Correctly“, Social Europe Journal, 23 Φεβρουαρίου. On Friday as news of the Brussels deal came through, Germany claimed victory and it is no surprise that most of the working press bought the claim. They have high authorities to quote and to rely on. Thus from London The Independent reported: several analysts agreed that the results of the talks amounted to a humiliating …Read More
Crook, C. (2015) “What Germany Owes Greece“, BloombergView, 19 Φεβρουαρίου. How much does it matter, if at all, that Greece’s demand for a new bailout program with softer terms is being pressed by a new government, elected for that very purpose — a government that retains solid support even as its standoff with other European Union governments drags on? How much does democracy matter in a situation like this? …Read More
Weisbrot, M. (2015) “Who’s Extorting Whom? It’s All About Coercion“, The Huffington Post, 17 Φεβρουαρίου. The Economist‘s Feb. 6 cover displayed the Venus de Milo statue pointing a revolver, with the headline “Go ahead, Angela, make my day.” In the editors’ upside-down world, Greece is threatening Europe, or at least Germany. Really? On Monday, Feb. 16, European officials “handed Athens an ultimatum: Agree by Friday to continue with a …Read More
Τσούκαλης, Λουκάς, Η διαπραγμάτευση και το πατριωτικό καθήκον, Εφημερίδα Καθημερινή, 15 Φεβρουαρίου 2015. Ολοι ελπίζουμε να υπάρξει κατ’ αρχήν συμφωνία με τους Ευρωπαίους εταίρους μας στη συνάντηση του Eurogroup αύριο, που με τη σειρά της θα ανοίξει τον δρόμο για την πιο δύσκολη και ουσιαστική διαπραγμάτευση. Η νέα κυβέρνηση έχει τη δυνατότητα να εξασφαλίσει ευνοϊκότερους όρους από την προκάτοχό της. Οι λόγοι είναι πολύ συγκεκριμένοι. Η κυβέρνηση Τσίπρα διαθέτει …Read More
Παγουλάτος, Γιώργος, Εντιμος συμβιβασμός ή Σχέδιο Β;, Εφημερίδα Καθημερινή, 15 Φεβρουαρίου 2015. Η κορυφαία στιγμή πολιτικής ωριμότητας του πρωθυπουργού Αλέξη Τσίπρα, στη συνέντευξη Τύπου μετά το Ευρωπαϊκό Συμβούλιο, ήταν όταν εκθείασε την αξία του συμβιβασμού στην Ευρώπη. Πρέπει να ξέρεις πότε να συγκρουστείς και πότε να συμβιβαστείς, είπε. Το ίδιο περίπου είχε πει νωρίτερα η κ. Μέρκελ. Η Ε.Ε. δεν θα βρισκόταν πουθενά χωρίς την τέχνη των αμοιβαίων συμβιβασμών. …Read More
Leonitsis, V. (2015) “The radicalisation of lower middle class Greek families was the key to Syriza’s victory, LSE EUROPP, 13 Φεβρουαρίου. A number of commentators have written on the extent to which Syriza managed to attract the backing of a wide section of Greek society in its election victory on 25 January. Vasilis Leontitsis writes that one of the key dynamics in the election was the support Syriza received …Read More
