Mendelsohn, J. (2015) “Uncertain Silver Linings, The European Magazine, Why Greece Should Not Leave the Euro Column, 07 Ιανουαρίου.
Unlike other European politicians, Alexis Tspiras may not be making empty promises. He may actually present a chance for real change. Radical change.
In light of the Greek elections and a possible Syrizian win, Europe, and Europe’s North in particular, has a lot to fear. Let’s not kid ourselves, Tspiras is actually a man who promises his people a living wage and pensioners the possibility to retrieve their meals from a place other than trashcans. Quelle horreur!
What has changed since we last debated a Greek exit, a total of three years ago? Three years is a long time. Long enough to ignore an insolvency and its causes and drive an economy into the ground completely. It is also long enough for banks and states to remove all funds from and investments in a country and to cut it off from the markets for good. Having stabilized neighbouring periphery states, this means that Greece can now default on its own, with less “external effects” or massive economic repercussions for anyone other than itself.
The most lucid dreams of Jean-Claude Juncker
Now that Greece is less “contagious”, it is easier than ever to turn it into a scapegoat, feeding only off its own insufficiencies. It is easy to assume that somehow the Hellenic state and its people are intrinsically incapable of being suitable and rational members of this economic union. There is no longer cause to concern ourselves with the underlying systemic causes of this crisis: the massive economic imbalances, a complete unwillingness to invest in common future and the huge incentives to speculate against a weaker member state that can and will bring it to its knees.
Photo: © gettyimages (The European Magazine)
Σχετικές αναρτήσεις:
- Wolff, Β. G. (2015) “Why Grexit would not help Greece – debunking the myth of exports“, Bruegel Institute, 06 Ιανουαρίου.
- Möller, Α. & Oliver, Τ. (2014) “Greater attention should be paid to the consequences of a ‘Brexit’ for the EU and other states around the world, not just the UK“, LSE EUROPP Blog, 01 Σεπτέμβρη.
- Tzogopoulos, G. (2014) “Britain Outside Europe? The Greek View, Athens will only have to lose with Brexit“, IP Journal, German Council on Foreign Relations, 25 Ιουνίου.