It is a fact that the negotiations with the troika have so far proven to be a painful process, which often escalated and resulted in huge delays in the assessment and collection of loan installments. But there is no need to dramatize this critical process any further.
Whether our partners and the markets want to admit it or now, over the past few years Greece have achieved more than any other country. Both in terms of fiscal consolidation and in structural changes and competition; despite the delays and problems, despite the lack of a bare minimum consensus we have managed to not only achieve our set goals, but in many cases we have exceeded them. The troika’s unreasonable at times demands have been implemented to a great extent at a huge social cost with great sacrifices. It is also a fact that decades of problems and omissions cannot be rectified that easily, much less when the affected social groups are being pressured politically and financially.
Despite all this though it appears that we are one step from ending this tight entanglement with the troika. This opportunity largely came to the sacrifices we have been forced to make and cannot be canceled due political weakness or political opportunism. The government needs to be a bit more composure, better planning and determination, while the opposition must show a bit more restraint. Then it is certain that we will be done with the current state of supervision and the equally important debt settlement.
Obviously the path will not be easy. But if the horizon clears up, if the next day looks brighter, then everyone wins. The people can begin to hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel, just like those in power today and their ambitious successors. We must put an end to the current state of supervision and dependence from our creditors and then we can see who will handle the next day…
TO VIMA
