Thursday 12 February 2015

Tsipras upsets the apfelkart

The newly-elected prime minister of Greece, Alex Tsipras, is really upsetting the apfelkart by actually honouring his election promises.

Earlier this week the Greek government issued a demand for the repayment of a loan the Nazis forced the Bank of Greece to issue during the German occupation of Greece during the second world war. The Greek Treasury has calculated the loan balance to be €162bn without interest.

Greece is in something of a Mexican standoff with the EU and the IMF who are telling Greece that they can't pull back from the devastating austerity imposed on the country by the international loan sharks at the ECB, EU and IMF whilst Greece is telling them they'll do what they damn well like and if they and if they want to save the €uro and the EU then they'd better start dancing to the Greek tune.

Syriza's hard left politics will never drag Greece out of the financial mire it's been in for most of the last century and all of this one but their firm stance with the loan sharks will at least recover their sovereignty and dignity.