The good PM made an ass of himself demanding “Dignity”, (and the people backed him by 60%), the Finance Minister’s assured them that a NO vote would “force” the hated Troika to capitulate.
You think maybe even the French hardened their view a bit?
After that performance, I’d suggest that anyone who thinks the current government can be trusted is a fool.
Let them go their own way, with all the dignity they want - when they actually implement the policies being “promised”, they can come back and talk.
The original (2010) bailout was financed by private banks. When the payments stopped coming (if the Greeks ever did make a payment), their governments bought the loans - at half their face value.
How many people have to lose how much before they see a pattern?
Hm. From the latest reporting, it seems that Tsipras’ clowning around in the last few weeks have so hugely damaged the relations between Greece and EU and so incredibly undermined any trust that some (seems like half of) EU members have towards Greece that nothing less than a complete Greek capitulation and ceding of financial sovereignty will produce any deal now.
Tsipras, I think, will be cited for the next few hundred years as a textbook of example of how NOT to negotiate.
Depends if EU falls apart or not. If it does, not kindly. If it doesn’t, and actually becomes stronger without Greece - as a genius.
Regardless of how Greece eventually, decades later, comes out of this, Tsipras’ shenanigans will definitely go down in history as some of the most inept negotiating tactics ever.
As for short term, Merkel seems to be getting stronger politically in the last few days. Tsipras, on the other hand, if he manages to survive as PM for the next month, I will be amazed.
Is there any precedent for Tsipras’ level of screw-up?
He had an deal much kinder to Greece on the table and walks away, demanding his populace vote it down, based on the theory that rejecting that (by then withdrawn) deal would “force” the lenders to throw money at them.
He is now faced with demands for hard collateral for a new loan, the requirement to enact laws backing up what he is promising.
So much for Europe.
Maybe he can hit up the IMF (with which he has already missed a payment) - IMF says "“Go get Europe’s permission”
Well, China is using its wealth to buy access, maybe they will be good for a buck or two.
Well, it seems that China has already bought a Greek port, spent a boatload of money re-building it.
Then Tsipras re-nationalizes it.
How about Russia? Well, he got a lovely 8x10 of himself shaking Putin’s hand, but not a peep - not even a note of sympathy.
Which leaves the money th Greeks who didn’t get theirs out of Greek banks have sitting there not doing anything.
Cyprus raided its citizen’s piggy banks, so…
If there weren’t so many people getting crushed, this would be funny - the ultimate in “Dumb Criminals”-type slapstick.
Come Monday, Tsipras needs to be out of a job and the most recent Greek leader with some credibility needs to be named acting PM.
“An EU official describes it as ‘extensive mental waterboarding’”
Merkel needs to be seen to be revving German tanks on the Greek Finance Ministry lawn. What I love about Germans is they really embrace hard ball. You absolutely know what you’re going to get.
That attitude is pretty much what destroyed Greece’s credibility. We got the money - fuck 'em.
233 Billion (with a B) later and the original lenders losing 50% on loans to Greece, and they still have a corrupt civil service and wholesale tax evasion.
When the lenders demand a VAT, it means they don’t think you could get any money from your people unless you hold their purchases hostage and demand the tax as condition of purchase.
Do you think that maybe this time (the 3rd bailout in 5 years) the message has gotten through?
It hasn’t - they still won’t pay taxes or demand a cleanup of the Civil Service.
Tsipras is supposed to be an extreme Leftist. Don’t Leftists generally think the rich should pay taxes?
How did Greece get to the point that, when broke, demand foreign entities give them money? Isn’t the usual to raise taxes internally?
The No vote was absolutely breathtaking. An entire nation demanding a handout instead of looking at domestic problems. We demand free money and nobody can tell us how to spend it!
In how many countries could such an attitude develop? You want “Dignity”? Show a bit of “Pride” and stop begging.