How reasonable is it to claim on the one hand that if the review does not close there will be no debt settlement, inclusion in the ECB’s quantitative easing program or return to the credit markets and on the other hand to accuse the IMF and Europe’ hard “players” that they are forcing unbearable measures on Greece? After two years of negotiations and constant delays, it is possible for government officers and the Prime Minister to not realize that the threats have no effect?
When everyone is underlining how the review must conclude at the 5 December Eurogroup, they are heroically stressing how they will not yield to the troika demands and return to the well-known political negotiation. This has happened time and again in recent years, with the results always being catastrophic for the country.
If they are really aware of the situation they cannot play this domestic consumption game again, when they know that there are little to no possibility of pressure. Even worse, they cannot be looking forward to shaking up Europe to negotiate better terms, due to the upcoming referendum in Italy, which is already affecting the neighboring country’s banking system.
No shake up in the Eurozone will benefit us so long as we are the weakest link in Europe, while constantly trying to win some time by postponing reforms and measures that should have been taken some time ago. Even Pierre Moscovici, who is favorably disposed towards our interests, clarified that the institutions are united and without the IMF there can be no solution.
The economy and society cannot endure another round of uncertainty, another extension of the Greek drama. The government will not save itself with pointless blustering, neither will it get back on a stable track. Any delay, as Mr. Tsakalotos noted, will burden Greece, not Europe or the IMF. At some point they will resolve their differences. The issue is not having to the cost of delay once again.
TO VIMA
