Agora
![Photo by Myrto Papadopoulos [www.myrtopapadopoulos.com]](resources/toolip/img-thumb/2013/11/06/tsipras_1000_myrto_0511-large.jpg "Photo by Myrto Papadopoulos [www.myrtopapadopoulos.com]")
Has SYRIZA's moment gone?
In June 2012, SYRIZA came within 171,000 votes of winning Greece’s national elections as part of an improbable but meteoric rise from raggle-taggle band of dreamy leftists to Europe’s premier anti-austerity crusaders. At the time it seemed that, even in electoral defeat, SYRIZA and its young leader Alexis Tsipras were laying a cornerstone for something much bigger. But events since then, especially over the last couple of weeks, suggest that we may have already seen SYRIZA’s finest moment.
Contributor: Nick Malkoutzis
Categories: Politics (417), Greece (534)
Does return to markets signal end of Greek crisis? The perils of ignoring macro-economic fundamentals
Politics today is the art of shaping a narrative, with the overriding preference being for one that is in harmony with markets and investors. This narrative is currently being formulated in real time in Greece. It is centred on the much anticipated return of the Greek sovereign to international bond markets.
Contributor: Jens Bastian
Categories: Europe (296), Politics (417), Economy (354), Greece (534)
Greece's ultimate sacrifice for stability
One of the ironies about the video showing ex-cabinet secretary Takis Baltakos in a furtive discussion with Golden Dawn spokesman Ilias Kasidiaris is that this unholy alliance was being forged in a room that had at least nine religious icons on its walls. Another is that it showed Golden Dawn, the self-styled anti-systemic party, was completely at ease with the idea of cosying up to and horsetrading with Prime Minister Antonis Samaras's right-hand man.
Contributor: Nick Malkoutzis
Categories: Politics (417), Greece (534)
No victory, just plenty of misery
It has become evident over the last few weeks that the eurozone’s pro-austerity camp is trying to defend its record, either through the ground it is afforded by influential media or through commentators that end up resembling cheerleaders rather than sober judges of the events that have unfolded in the single currency area.
Contributor: Yiannis Mouzakis
Categories: Europe (296), Politics (417), Economy (354), Society (155), Greece (534)
![Photo by Can Esenbel [www.mundanepleasures.com]](resources/toolip/img-thumb/2013/10/16/cityconstruction_agora_esenbel-large.jpg "Photo by Can Esenbel [www.mundanepleasures.com]")
A return to capital markets for Greek banks but no return to domestic lending
In the future we may look back on the past two weeks as a watershed moment for Greek banks following the onset of the twin financial and sovereign debt crisis in 2009. After extensive and well prepared international road shows, financial institutions in Athens attracted unprecedented levels of foreign investors' interest for bond placements and capital-raising initiatives.
Contributor: Jens Bastian
Categories: Economy (354), Greece (534)