By D. Hatzinikolas
The latest “headache” for Greece’s leftist government, beyond its standing obligations and challenges, is the increasingly changing international and European political landscape, as the scheduled departure of Barack Obama was quickly followed by Francois Hollande’s “white flag” in Paris and Matteo Renzi’s solid referendum defeat in Italy.
Speaking during a brief televised dialogue with visiting German FM Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Athens on Monday, in fact, the leftist Greek premier said the “No. 1” problem facing Europe is the rise of the far-right, and just as intriguing, the rise of “populism”.
Nevertheless, besides the obvious “bogeyman” entailed in the far-right’s re-emergence on the European continent, the looming collapse of the so-called “southern bloc” of EU member-states in tandem with uncertainty over how the Greek debt drama will be played out in its current crucial phase, has raised heightened concerns in Athens.
Without sympathetic partners in Europe’s south — from Portugal to Italy — and regardless of the potency and effectiveness of this so-called “southern front”, embattled Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras again risks finding himself back in a situation reminiscent of early 2015, i.e. isolated. This time, however, the conditions are not of his own making, therefore, whatever changes in policy are not an option.
The rapidly changing political situation now makes it imperative for Athens to get a “package deal” that includes measures for the debt. Sources close to the prime minister’s office reiterated that his in no way means an “unconditional surrender” to creditors demands. Instead, repeated statements by high-level sources in the Greek government insist that any IMF demands for more austerity measures over 2019 and 2020 will not be accepted.
