German Magazine ‘Der Spiegel’ Supports Greek PM’s Decision

According to the German Newspaper ‘Der Spiegel’, Europe is stunned because the Greek prime minister wants to allow the people to vote on the euro rescue plan for their country. Georgios Papandreou is putting all his eggs in one basket — but he has made the right decision.

German editor, Sven Boel underlines in his article, ” The Greeks will, for a change, decide for themselves how they and their country will move forward.They have had no real opportunity to do so for quite some time. For about a year and a half, this once proud country has been under foreign administration; it is de facto no longer a sovereign state”.

Moreover, Boel adds, “The biggest fear of the other euro-zone members was that Greece would say goodbye to the currency. The formula for European apocalypse goes something like this: First Greece drops out, then Portugal and Spain fall, and then Italy pushes the single currency over the cliff. If they’re lucky, all that will remain is a northern European euro mini-zone. No question, this danger exists if the Greeks say no to Brussels’ decisions. Papandreou is going all in. Nevertheless, his decision is correct for several reasons”.

Boel explains that firstly, the prime minister needs immediate legitimacy for his actions. He was elected before the escalation of the debt crisis.  Secondly, the opposition in Greece is an obstruction. They have also failed to understand after a year and a half that the country cannot afford any party political antics. With a popular vote, at least there is hope that the opposition will come to their senses.

Thirdly, the editor concludes,  “Greece finds itself in a downwards spiral. Almost all of its citizens are victims of the austerity measures; many feel desperate and are going on strike. But when those who still do have jobs also no longer work, the economy is harmed even further. The vicious cycle continues. New, tougher measures are needed, and so on. If the majority of the population avowed itself to a way out of the crisis, this horrific situation would most likely be over. Strikes would probably be delegitimized.”