In These New Times

A new paradigm for a post-imperial world

Posts Tagged ‘Greek crisis’

Wake-up call

Posted by seumasach on July 7, 2015

Ekathimerini

7th July, 2015

We are dangerously close to a huge disaster and yet we still appear oblivious to what is happening, living on an entirely different planet to the rest of Europe.

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Yanis Varoufakis: Greece is Finished

Posted by seumasach on February 19, 2015

Varoufakis’ thinking is perfectly in tune with that of Michel Barnier, the European commissioner who devised the EU’s banking union plan. The three main points of Varoufakis’ plan correspond to those of the banking union which will come into full force by the end of 2015, Those are, firstly, a “bail in ” of the banks instead a “bail out”, whereby creditors and shareholders of the banks take the rap rather than taxpayers. This process to be overseen at pan-European level rather than at the level of the nation states. Secondly, mutualisation i.e. Eurobonds and , thirdly, reconstruction of real economy through an pan-European investment programme. It is the opposition of the City of London to this “dirigiste” project drawn up by the avowed Gaullist, Barnier, which accounts for the fact that no one hears anything of it. What Greece is doing now should help bring it centre stage and shift the balance of power in Europe away from atlanticist-style finance capital towards precisely such a centralized and dirigiste model.

Naked Capitalism

26th June, 2012

Yves here. Yanis just posted an interview with ABC (Australia’s BBC) which describes how Greece cannot be salvaged. Its fate will be determined at the eurozone level, and its possible outcomes range from bad to awful. You can watch the conversation here. Transcript below:

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Lagarde and the Greeks … a comedy, not a tragedy!

Posted by seumasach on June 1, 2012

Newropmag

31st May, 2012

Lagarde and the Greeks … a comedy, not a tragedy! Christine Lagerde, head of the IMF, recently told journalists that she had no sympathy for the difficulties encoutered by the Greek people and that they should pay their taxes rather than complaining.

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Schulz: Greek policy deadline could be extended

Posted by seumasach on May 26, 2012

Ekathimerini

26th May, 2012

European Parliament President Martin Schulz said on Saturday an extension of the time frame for policy changes and budget cuts in Greece is «conceivable,» according to an interview with Tagesspiegel.

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Greece hopes for boost from EU leaders’ summit

Posted by seumasach on May 23, 2012

Ekathimerini

23rd May, 2012

Greece’s caretaker Prime Minister Panayiotis Pikrammenos has met European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso ahead of an EU leaders’ summit in Brussels, during which they are expected to discuss growth, the fiscal pact and the euro crisis.

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Nightmare foretold if Greece heads for euro exit

Posted by seumasach on May 22, 2012

Ekathimerini

19th May, 2012

In Athens, the homeless are on the streets in growing numbers, soup kitchens feed twice as many people as a year ago, and the poor are diving into garbage bins in search of scrap they can sell.

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Our eye is off the ball

Posted by seumasach on May 18, 2012

Nicos Konstandaras

Ekathimerini

19th May, 2012

Our politicians play at politics. They abdicated the difficult role cast upon them by the May 6 ballot and, in going for new elections, they have left the economy and society adrift. The crisis has changed the relationship between our political parties but not their behavior. Politics involves management of today and creating strategy for tomorrow. But, for decades, politics in Greece has been in regression, between unfinished business and utopia.

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Wanted: captain and compass

Posted by seumasach on May 16, 2012

Alexis Papachelas

Ekathimerini

16th May, 2012

I’ve always envied older colleagues for having had firsthand experience of historic events that later generations could only read about. I grew up thinking that we would not get to live through similar events because, as a child of my generation, I had the conviction that some fundamental issues had been resolved for good and that tomorrow would always be a better day. It turns out I was wrong.

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Party leaders face final attempt to agree unity deal

Posted by seumasach on May 13, 2012

Inconsistencies in the public comments made by SYRIZA officials over the past few days led to Democratic Left leader Fotis Kouvelis issuing a statement on Saturday asking his the leftist coalition to clarify its position on a number of issues.

Chief among these was whether the party advocates a unilateral rejection by a government it will participate in of the terms of the EU-IMF loan agreement. Kouvelis also asked SYRIZA to explain what it would do following new elections that are unlikely to give any party a clear majority. He also called for SYRIZA to respond to written opinions from members of 10 parties that are part of its coalition, which advocate that Greece returns to the drachma.

As a coalition of disparate groups it is unlikely SYRIZA can arrive at a coherent policy position even if any of its components were able to do so. It is essentially a rejectionist front formed from those ideological currents which emerged from the World Social Forum and the Occupy Movement superimposed on older Trotskyist, Eurocommunist and workerist currents. It is unlikely that SYRIZA could cope with or survive political power falling into its lap and it is as well that the Greek electorate as made aware of this before giving them more votes. The Democratic Left is trying to force SYRIZA to clarify its positions but I would be very surprised if they get a satisfactory response.

Ekathimerini

13th May, 2012

President Karolos Papoulias is due to meet the heads of Greece’s three leading parties at noon on Sunday in a final attempt to secure a deal for the formation of a government, as Athens comes under increasing pressure about its future in the eurozone.

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Papoulias discerns elements of optimism

Posted by seumasach on May 12, 2012

Ekathimerini

12th May, 2012

President Karolos Papoulias discerned optimistic elements in the account that PASOK President Evangelos Venizelos rendered to him upon returning the exploratory mandate for the formation of a coalition government on Saturday afternoon.

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Venizelos eyes unity deal after agreement with Democratic Left

Posted by seumasach on May 10, 2012

Ekathimerini

11th May, 2012

PASOK leader Evangelos Venizelos will hold talks on Friday with his counterparts at New Democracy and the Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA) with the aim of agreeing on a framework for a unity government after Democratic Left leader Fotis Kouvelis on Thursday backed the formation of an ecumenical administration.

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