Greece should not go the way of Weimar Republic
Great changes in political history were accomplished by large majorities and not by fractured political systems, as was the case in Weimar Republic.
Greek society is currently squeezed by austerity policies imposed by international creditors, while people are thinking and acting under a feeling of anger and confusion. This has put in contradiction the political class and the civil society, thus minimizing the chances for cooperation in order to propose viable solutions, badly needed at this moment by the country. The whole picture is hauntingly reminiscent of the conditions that prevailed in Germany between the two world wars: increasing unemployment and poverty, forced cuts in wages and social transfers, all of which within the context of international economic crisis, create a tendency to reinforce the extreme political parties.
Today, the Greek political landscape is shaped according to acceptance or rejection of the austerity programme arising from the international obligations of Greece. Political parties viewed as opposing the austerity programme certainly lead Greece out of the Euro; on the other side, those considered to be favoring the austerity measures and the restructuring policies imposed by international creditors are not sure to have the power to keep Greece inside the eurozone, and finally in the European Union.
The key issue, asked by most Greeks, is whether political forces that will emerge from the elections scheduled for 6th of May (at least those advocating compliance with Greece’s international obligations) will be in a position to renegotiate with European Union and the IMF a new mix of policies, based not only on austerity but also on growth. This comes down to convincing the “troika”, (EU, the IMF, and European Central Bank) to abandon their strict “accounting” view on Greek economy, and adopt a more flexible approach, one that would let some light appear at the end of the tunnel.
Personally, I am one of those who, as a member of the European Parliament, didn’t vote in favor of the Euro; the reason was that what was presented as “Economic and Monetary Union” was only “Monetary” and not at all “Economic.” My fears of that time about the impact of Euros’ adoption on the Greek economy were unfortunately confirmed. However, if entering the eurozone was a mistake for Greece, exiting the eurozone, today, would certainly be a catastrophe.
This is a bitter truth that Greek voters must take into account when deciding next Sunday. If logic prevails over anger, then yes Greece have a chance.
No comments:
Post a Comment