It has been said that when the pressure is off, the EU reverts to its natural inertia. It is certainly true that The Frau has contrived to put the pressure off at least until her elections. But this has only been achieved by sweeping the rubbish under a rather bulging carpet.
Meanwhile the budget looms ahead, not to mention the inevitability of a grand write down of Greek debt. But Greece is doing everything she can to accommodate the plans of one politician, not even one country. To her own detriment. The more she lets the can to be kicked down the road to the benefit of others but not herself, the worse the situation becomes in Greece.
The inevitable results of this policy, or lack thereof, are beginning to manifest themselves dangerously. Social unrest is growing. The government is getting off on playing strong man by unleashing police violence and mobilising all strikers, thereby limiting, it thinks, the effects of strikes.
But though they appear to love their “no nonsense” image, it really is not doing the country any good. Already the unpunished rampant police brutality is showing Greece up and returning us to an image that was rife in the time of the junta. Not to mention that bottling up all dissent and protests through police might, is not solving the problem but exacerbating it.
As to the eternal obsession with taxing the country dry while pushing it further and further into recession, that is the result of making pleasing The Frau your sole priority and to hell with your people. All that matters is that you are the one called Prime Minister, or just Minister.
Back in Euroland is there any concern over the deep rooted and growing problems of a Europe falling deeper and deeper into recession? Is there any concern over what might happen if.. if the Italian elections do not go the way they want, if… if the scandals in the Spanish governing party to lead to the unraveling of all The Frau’s neat little plans, if…If things finally do blow up in Greece?
Oh well, never mind, we’ll deal with any of that if we get there. If not we won’t. Meanwhile who gives a damn about people going, hungry, mad suicidal, criminal, or even turning terrorist as a result of all this arrogant procrastinating?