The negotiations with the troika have been going on for two months and they don’t seem to end.
As long as the negotiations are extended, the frustration both within and outside of the country will increase.
The government is already being shaken, as the criticism mounts against the Prime Minister’s protégé and Minister of Finances Yannis Stournaras, as well as the much-discussed procedures in New Democracy and PASOK.
Additionally, our partners in Europe, despite the good words in their public appearances with Greek officials, maintain serious doubts and treat Greece like something exotic and unaccommodating compared to the other countries that have found themselves in a similar, dire financial state.
It is unfortunate that the domestic political scene continues to run at its own rate, without realizing that Greece is in a rather precarious state.
If the tension in the Greek political scene persists and there is no positive outcome in the troika negotiations soon, then suspicion will dominate again and whatever progress was achieved in recent years will be subverted.
If we reach the end of spring and financial issues remain unresolved and suspicion dominates, then just the start of a new election cycle will be enough to set fire to our dry plains.
In this case the setback will be significant, since it will have occurred after the European elections and will ultimately influence future political developments and the character of the next government.
Those who imagine that they will manage surpluses achieved by others must realized that incase of a generalized entanglement, these surpluses will not exists and they will have to face the people whom they rely upon today.
After all, the general secretary of the KKE Dimitris Koutsoumpas has warned his former comrades that “the people will chase with out of town”.
In other words, it is in nobody’s interest to maintain these outstanding discussions and to extend the talks with our partners.
At present the strengthening of our country’s position is paramount, by completing negotiations and settling the debts once more.
The domestic political power struggle is secondary. It can wait…
Antonis Karakousis
– Originally published in the Sunday print edition
