Agora
Posts on March 2015
Why Greece is asking for 1.2 bln back from the EFSF
Following the Eurogroup decision on February 20, Greece returned 10.9 billion (European Financial Stability Fund) EFSF bonds at the end of the previous month. That transaction reduced accordingly the country’s debt and the debt to GDP ratio by more than 6 percentage points.
Contributor: Manos Giakoumis
Categories: Europe (276), Economy (312), Greece (466)
What will be on the agenda for talks between Merkel and Tsipras?
This Monday, the Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras will fly to Berlin to meet the German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Some observers have characterised this face-to-face meeting as Tsipras taking the risk of walking straight into the lion’s den.
Contributor: Jens Bastian
Categories: Europe (276), Politics (364), Greece (466)
Mentioning the war so we don't have to mention the war
Fawlty Towers was never a popular show in Greece and the concept of not mentioning the war is not one familiar with Greeks. In fact, Greece is a country where history is often viewed as a collection of unresolved issues - such as the Asia Minor Catastrophe, the Second World War, the Civil War and the military dictatorship – that continue to shape the present. The sense that there has been a repeated lack of closure is prevalent at each new crisis, each key turning point in the country’s progression.
Contributor: Nick Malkoutzis
Categories: Europe (276), Politics (364), Society (131), Greece (466)
Greece: The moment of truth is inexorably approaching
The Greek government faces a dire financial situation in the coming weeks, especially as lenders are unlikely to relent on the conditions of last month’s loan extension. In fact, Tsipras’ insistence on of pushing for a “political deal” is going nowhere: German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who he will meet in Berlin next Monday, 23 March, is unlikely to deviate from her preference for technical, rule-based solutions.
Contributor: Wolfango Piccoli
Categories: Europe (276), Politics (364), Economy (312), Greece (466)
Will the real men of unity please stand up?
At first it seemed like a harmless joke. “And now for one member state, all the men need to take off their ties,” said European Commission first vice-president Frans Timmermans at the end of a recent photo shoot for the College of Commissioners in Brussels.
Contributor: Nick Malkoutzis
Categories: Europe (276), Politics (364), Economy (312), Greece (466)