Foreign Affairs

unhappycamper

(60,364 posts) Thu Feb 5, 2015, 08:11 AM Feb 2015

Germany Digs in Heels on Austerity as Greece Demands End to 'Business As Usual'

http://www.commondreams.org/news/2015/02/04/germany-digs-heels-austerity-greece-demands-end-business-usual

Syriza finance minister visits troika heads to push proposal to link Greece's debt repayments with the country's economic growth

Germany Digs in Heels on Austerity as Greece Demands End to 'Business As Usual'
Lauren McCauley, staff writer
Wednesday, February 04, 2015

As a leaked document on Wednesday suggested the German government is determined to take a hard stance against the new Syriza government, Greece's newly appointed financial minister Yanis Varoufakis declared "business as usual" is no longer an option when it comes to his nation's relationship with European creditors.

Representing the new anti-austerity Syriza government, Varoufakis said he is optimistic that ongoing talks with foreign ministers and Troika representatives—which includes the IMF, the European Central Bank (ECB), and European Commission—will allow Greece to strike a deal after a series of high-level meetings this week.

On Wednesday, Varoufakis met with the head of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, and Mario Draghi, head of the ECB , as well as his German counterpart Wolfgang Schaueble, to discuss a proposal to link Greece's debt repayments with the country's economic growth.

Ahead of that meeting on Thursday, however, a leaked document revealed that Germany will press the new Greek government to rescind their campaign promises and continue with the Troika's austerity agenda.

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Germany Digs in Heels on Austerity as Greece Demands End to 'Business As Usual' (Original Post) unhappycamper Feb 2015 OP

A problem is that Germany is the clear winner in the EU economy. delrem Feb 2015 #1

That's exactly it. nt. polly7 Feb 2015 #4

Much stalling and digging in of heels until the end of the month. bemildred Feb 2015 #2

As if Greece isn't digging in his heels. DetlefK Feb 2015 #3

delrem

(9,688 posts)

1. A problem is that Germany is the clear winner in the EU economy.

Reply to unhappycamper (Original post)

Thu Feb 5, 2015, 08:27 AM

Feb 2015

Germany doesn't face the consequences of the "austerity" program that it wants to enforce on Greece and other countries. In fact, it supposes that it will profit.

polly7

(20,582 posts)

4. That's exactly it. nt.

Reply to delrem (Reply #1)

Thu Feb 5, 2015, 09:42 AM

Feb 2015

bemildred

(90,061 posts)

2. Much stalling and digging in of heels until the end of the month.

Reply to unhappycamper (Original post)

Thu Feb 5, 2015, 08:49 AM

Feb 2015

Then the whining will start and talks will get serious. Then Greece will default.

DetlefK

(16,423 posts)

3. As if Greece isn't digging in his heels.

Reply to unhappycamper (Original post)

Thu Feb 5, 2015, 09:25 AM

Feb 2015

Theodoros Paraskevopoulos, economic advisor to the new greek government, was in a german TV-show yesterday, a political forum. And everything was the fault of others.
Greece has a corruption-problem? Germany has corruption, too!
It was a diplomatic mistake to flirt with Russia? That's the fault of EU-president Donald Tusk!

If Greece had started off with
1. make the tax-system more progressive
2. fight corruption
3. hire more investigators to fight tax-evasion and corruption
And when Greece had THEN said "can we have more money, PLEASE", do you really think the EU would have said No?

The new greek government was elected on a platform of confrontation, and now Germany and the EU are bad for accepting the confrontation???

Corruption and taxes. If Greece doesn't get its house in order in these two areas, and fast, the country is done.

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