Greece: The Geopolitical Wild Card; Greek Reforms, Tactics and New Measures

From Reuters, Paul Taylor

Geopolitics and domestic politics are pulling in opposite directions.

From Kathimerini (the same)

More, related

"Some analysts argue that this government, unlike its predecessor, takes history and geopolitics into account when negotiating with the EU, and Germany in particular. According to them, the Germans are strong economically but weak in imposing their will as this could revive the image of aggressor they want to shed".

James Galbraith on the Greek negotiating tactics (Avgi)

Η Αμερική βλέπει τη μεγάλη εικόνα, δεν θέλει να δει την Ευρώπη να κατακερματίζεται, δεν θέλει να δει χώρες να τις πετάνε έξω από την Ευρωζώνη, δεν θέλει πολιτική αστάθεια σε μια χώρα που βρίσκεται στο νοτιοανατολικό άκρο της Γηραιάς Ηπείρου. Νομίζω πως οι ΗΠΑ στέλνουν ένα ηχηρό μήνυμα πως είναι ζήτημα ασφαλείας, όπως εξελίσσεται η κατάσταση στην Ουκρανία και τη Συρία, να υπάρχει σταθερότητα στην Ελλάδα. Αυτά είναι τα κυρίαρχα ζητήματα στο μυαλό των Αμερικανών αξιωματούχων πρωτίστως και δευτερευόντως η οικονομική διαχείριση της ελληνικής οικονομίας που είναι πολύ μικρή.


James Galbraith (Kathimerini, English)

Greek Reforms, "Pulling a Fast One" (Reform Watch Greece)

"It is evident the Greek side is trying to pull a fast one by claiming it can easily accept 70% of the Troika’s structural reforms and will replace the 30% it rejects with 10 new measures it proposes (including elements of the OECD reform toolkit)".

Update, Kathimerini

Greek postwar alliances show Europe has more to lose than money, Nikos Chrysoloras

"As Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras focuses on the economic arguments for a new bailout deal for Greece, the country’s strategic importance to the European Union may do as much to persuade Germany to grant him concessions. With war in Syria to the east, the failure of the Libyan state to the south and a nascent cease-fire in Ukraine to the north adding to the perennial tensions between Israel and its neighbors, the value of Greece as a NATO member and its ports on the eastern Mediterranean is rising".

Svenska Dagbladet, Perspective, Tomas Lundin

"Greek election may be the only way out" - " Greece must bite the bullet and swallow an extension of the hated support programme"

Michel Sapin, Reuters

On need for compromise

Update: Plan B - a spoof video