The Tsipras administration, it must be said, fell into the deep end on day one. It found itself up against almost all of Europe, which watched over with suspicion and as soon as the new government was elected demanded submission and compliance. It must also be said that the Tsipras administration lost time and strength in the painful negotiations with Brussels, Berlin and Frankfurt. It continues to suffer from the restricted liquidity, from this Chinese water torture that Mr. Draghi and Mr. Schauble are using to politically eliminate Mr. Tsipras, as cannot deal with another Tsipras outside their door!
However, the aggressive stance of the liberal conservative Europe does not justify the many and obvious problems of the new Greek government which attended the battle unprepared, without any provisions, without experience and ultimately, with an insufficient plan.
As time goes by the endurance of SYRIZA’s leadership is being tested and the lack of preparation and coordination is revealed – even the declared left-wing principles of collectivity and camaraderie that are betrayed on a daily basis do not, in any case, emerge from the personal strategy and ambition of its officers and ministers. This obsession with publicity, the regular and absurd, narcissistic television appearances are indicative of the problem in the formation of the party that preached the big change, without knowing how to achieve it.
Many now rightly ask what is the plan and what is the strategy to exit this spiral of austerity and excessive debt. The economy is frozen and the state is fully immobilized at present. Not even the primary goal of controlling the humanitarian crisis can be achieved when there are no available resources and painful savings are needed, even in the healthcare sector, in order to find the funds to avoid a sudden bankruptcy. When a government is living on the edge, it is not in the position to activate the state, nor appoint general secretaries, unblock the NSRF procedures or kick-start growth.
When the Minister of Finances is going from station to station and cannot find the time to go to his office, it is clear that growth has been sidelined and that the humanitarian crisis will get worse.
Truth be told, an economy that is distinguished for its negative rate of savings and suffers from excessive debt both domestically and abroad, it does not have the luxury of rejecting or blocking foreign investments, as has been the cases since the new government came to power, as if Greece was swimming in cash.
In other words, the aggression of the foreigners does not explain the weakness, nor does it explain the deficits of the Tsipras administration. To overcome them, decisive moves are needed from the start, now if possible, before they entrench themselves and immobilize it.
Antonis Karakousis
Originally published in the Sunday print edition
