Greece snap elections - 25th Jan
Discussion
Leftwing Syriza are leading the polls and their 2 stage plan is to wipe out Greek debts and lift austerity. Never a dull moment with the EU 
Tsipras said:
“Be optimistic and cheerful, austerity will soon be over,” said Alexis Tsipras, Syriza’s firebrand leader, as he left parliament after the vote. “The Samaras government which looted society and decided to take further austerity measures is finished.”
Yazar said:
Leftwing Syriza are leading the polls and their 2 stage plan is to wipe out Greek debts and lift austerity. Never a dull moment with the EU
Well that will be a problem for the whole EU project. Having a dissenting member ignoring the rules will really, really, upset the Germans. Tsipras said:
“Be optimistic and cheerful, austerity will soon be over,” said Alexis Tsipras, Syriza’s firebrand leader, as he left parliament after the vote. “The Samaras government which looted society and decided to take further austerity measures is finished.”
toppstuff said:
Yazar said:
Leftwing Syriza are leading the polls and their 2 stage plan is to wipe out Greek debts and lift austerity. Never a dull moment with the EU
Well that will be a problem for the whole EU project. Having a dissenting member ignoring the rules will really, really, upset the Germans. Tsipras said:
“Be optimistic and cheerful, austerity will soon be over,” said Alexis Tsipras, Syriza’s firebrand leader, as he left parliament after the vote. “The Samaras government which looted society and decided to take further austerity measures is finished.”
It was only a few weeks ago that eurogroup ministers agreed to give the Greek government a two-month extension to its bailout. It's like that old adage if you owe the bank $100 that's your problem. If you owe the bank $100 million, that's the bank's problem. Will be interesting to see how this develops.
Yazar said:
Leftwing Syriza are leading the polls and their 2 stage plan is to wipe out Greek debts and lift austerity. Never a dull moment with the EU
It's a three stage plan. The final stage sees Greece achieve something akin to an economic stone age. Tsipras said:
“Be optimistic and cheerful, austerity will soon be over,†said Alexis Tsipras, Syriza’s firebrand leader, as he left parliament after the vote. “The Samaras government which looted society and decided to take further austerity measures is finished.â€
I'll be happy to buy a holiday home there in a few years though, once they cost about 50p in real money.
LucreLout said:
It's a three stage plan. The final stage sees Greece achieve something akin to an economic stone age.
I'll be happy to buy a holiday home there in a few years though, once they cost about 50p in real money.
The Germans have managed that for them quite well; Greek output is down to 1970s levels, when Greece was a military dictatorship.I'll be happy to buy a holiday home there in a few years though, once they cost about 50p in real money.
hidetheelephants said:
The Germans have managed that for them quite well; Greek output is down to 1970s levels, when Greece was a military dictatorship.
Sure, but now add a default to the mix and a weak new currency that nobody will trust, and watch the fx rate go down quicker than Paris Hilton.It may be ok if you have no fixed assets or have capital abroad, but for those with a euro denominated mortgage, it means repossession. For the young it means no mobility, trapped in a country where anything they earn isn't worth so much as a cheeseburger elsewhere.
Not a good choice. Better to shrink the state and slash and burn the perks paid to their state employees. At least the young have a chance of a better life then.... Not a great chance, but somewhere above zero which is where things are heading.
LucreLout said:
hidetheelephants said:
The Germans have managed that for them quite well; Greek output is down to 1970s levels, when Greece was a military dictatorship.
Sure, but now add a default to the mix and a weak new currency that nobody will trust, and watch the fx rate go down quicker than Paris Hilton.It may be ok if you have no fixed assets or have capital abroad, but for those with a euro denominated mortgage, it means repossession. For the young it means no mobility, trapped in a country where anything they earn isn't worth so much as a cheeseburger elsewhere.
Not a good choice. Better to shrink the state and slash and burn the perks paid to their state employees. At least the young have a chance of a better life then.... Not a great chance, but somewhere above zero which is where things are heading.
LucreLout said:
Sure, but now add a default to the mix and a weak new currency that nobody will trust, and watch the fx rate go down quicker than Paris Hilton.
It may be ok if you have no fixed assets or have capital abroad, but for those with a euro denominated mortgage, it means repossession. For the young it means no mobility, trapped in a country where anything they earn isn't worth so much as a cheeseburger elsewhere.
Not a good choice. Better to shrink the state and slash and burn the perks paid to their state employees. At least the young have a chance of a better life then.... Not a great chance, but somewhere above zero which is where things are heading.
With a weak currency won't they be by far the most competitive holiday destination on the Med in Europe?It may be ok if you have no fixed assets or have capital abroad, but for those with a euro denominated mortgage, it means repossession. For the young it means no mobility, trapped in a country where anything they earn isn't worth so much as a cheeseburger elsewhere.
Not a good choice. Better to shrink the state and slash and burn the perks paid to their state employees. At least the young have a chance of a better life then.... Not a great chance, but somewhere above zero which is where things are heading.
Just a week to go for election day!
telegraph said:
Every opinion poll for the past two months has put Syriza in first place with a consistent lead of between three and five percentage points. The latest survey showed the party widening its advantage, reaching 34.5 per cent compared with 29 per cent for New Democracy.
Unless there is a shock of earthquake proportions, Syriza is set to win this election – and Mr Tsipras will then become prime minister of Greece and one of the youngest national leaders in the world.
He may fall short of an overall majority in the 300-seat parliament, but the electoral system awards an extra 50 seats to whichever party comes first in the popular vote, with the remaining 250 being handed out on a proportional basis. If the pundits are right and Syriza tops the poll, Mr Tsipras will hold the whip-hand in any coalition government.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/g...Unless there is a shock of earthquake proportions, Syriza is set to win this election – and Mr Tsipras will then become prime minister of Greece and one of the youngest national leaders in the world.
He may fall short of an overall majority in the 300-seat parliament, but the electoral system awards an extra 50 seats to whichever party comes first in the popular vote, with the remaining 250 being handed out on a proportional basis. If the pundits are right and Syriza tops the poll, Mr Tsipras will hold the whip-hand in any coalition government.
Interesting conundrum the current Greek situation. It does seem very probable that the left wing parties suggesting Greece cannot continue with the consequences of austerity are very likely to end up as effectively the winners of this election. However what their actual policies will be to effect major changes is distinctly open to question.
As the current falls of the Euro are already clearly demonstrating there is serious trouble with confidence in the markets on the probability of the EU being able to square the economic circle with the failing EU members within the Euro. The reality of the reduction in living standards and quality of life in Greece already well beyond the point where the electorate will accept more financial sacrifice. Hence the snap ecetion.
The EU may find some way of keeping the nonsense running short term. But the reality is that wholly insolvent sovereign states cannot actually afford to remain within the EU. They never could and still cannot survive in a currency dominated by Germany.
Whether Greece will be the first to fail is a moot point, but one way or another this nonsense must fail. Matter of time.
As the current falls of the Euro are already clearly demonstrating there is serious trouble with confidence in the markets on the probability of the EU being able to square the economic circle with the failing EU members within the Euro. The reality of the reduction in living standards and quality of life in Greece already well beyond the point where the electorate will accept more financial sacrifice. Hence the snap ecetion.
The EU may find some way of keeping the nonsense running short term. But the reality is that wholly insolvent sovereign states cannot actually afford to remain within the EU. They never could and still cannot survive in a currency dominated by Germany.
Whether Greece will be the first to fail is a moot point, but one way or another this nonsense must fail. Matter of time.
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