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Posts by Nick Malkoutzis
Why doesn't Tsipras just cut defence spending?
It seems the easiest option for a left-wing party coming to power and needing to save money: cut defence spending. However, despite being under intense pressure from Greece’s lenders to find a way to meet fiscal targets over the next few years, making some of the savings it needs from reducing expenditure on the military is not as easy as it first seems for SYRIZA.
Contributor: Nick Malkoutzis
Categories: Politics (407), Greece (519)
Tsipras needs to sign a deal, but which one?
There have been plenty of sensible people advising Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras that he has to do a deal with the country’s lenders but few of them until now suggested he should sign the proposal put on the table by the institutions. Therein lies the problem for the SYRIZA leader: The risk of not agreeing with creditors carries so many potential dangers it is hardly worth considering but the option of agreeing to the lenders’ plan also has numerous pitfalls.
Contributor: Nick Malkoutzis
Categories: Europe (289), Politics (407), Economy (341), Greece (519)
Greece rides the ghost train
Greece’s negotiations with its lenders over the last few days have been more like a ride on the ghost train than a roller coaster, producing moments of sheer panic punctuated by brief spells that allow the palpitations to subside.
Contributor: Nick Malkoutzis
Categories: Europe (289), Politics (407), Economy (341), Greece (519)
Waiting for the hurricane
Over the last few months, Greece has been like a town on the East Coast of the USA during the hurricane season. Greeks have been checking the news every day to see if the storm will hit, causing widespread destruction, or whether it will glance by their homes, leaving behind damage that can be repaired.
Contributor: Nick Malkoutzis
Categories: Europe (289), Politics (407), Economy (341), Greece (519)
![Photo by Myrto Papadopoulos (www.myrtopapadopoulos.com]](resources/toolip/img-thumb/2013/11/13/syrizaflags_1000_myrto_1211-large.jpg "Photo by Myrto Papadopoulos (www.myrtopapadopoulos.com]")
Will SYRIZA accept the proposal from Greece's lenders?
As Greece’s lenders prepare to present Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras with their final proposal, there is one question that everyone wants the answer to: Will SYRIZA MPs support the deal? The problem is that the sui generis nature of the leftist party means it is impossible to make any safe predictions about how its parliamentarians will behave, especially when the details of the settlement are not yet known.
Contributor: Nick Malkoutzis
Categories: Politics (407), Greece (519)