The Prime Minister’s visit to Davos, the lair of international capitalism to bring back some older accusations from SYRIZA, was not as unclouded as the government officials want to present it. In all of the contacts and talks with Mr. Tsipras, his interlocutors had the same thing to say: implement the agreement you singed up to, carry out the reforms so that we may also keep our end of the bargain, to end the review and discuss the debt.
Mr. Schäuble’s quip that “it is the implementation stupid” categorically summarizes European intentions. Mr. Tsipras may not have taken it as a personal challenge, as government officials underlined, by avoiding to respond, but the message was more than clear. Just like everyone else was clear, including the Americans, about how the IMF is an integral part of the creditor quartet.
The government may have tried to blame their omissions and mistakes on the media, as per usual, but it was obvious that the pension system reform will be a crucial point in the negotiation. Everything indicates that the government plan is far from being accepted by the Europeans and IMF.
Obviously nobody wants another crisis between Greece and its creditors, but it is just as obvious that they expect the government to implement its promises and commitments. Mr. Tsipras may still insist that Europe must change its policy, but everyone’s response is to implement the agreement and then we may look into what change on a broader scale.
The conflicting messages from government officials clearly cannot help towards this goal. The problems which the government faces – both on the domestic social front, as well as in the negotiations with the troika – are a consequence of its own delays and failures. The criticism and media revelations that fuel demonstrations and reactions cannot be dealt with propaganda. The media are doing their job, the government should look into doing its own…
TO VIMA
