The Wehrmacht had a crack at it – but that attempt ended in disastrous failure 70 years ago. The long-held dream of German hegemony throughout Europe is, however, back on the agenda and closer than ever to realisation. The Greek crisis threw up many sub-plots – many of them of great significance of course to […]
Posts under ‘Europe’
Do the Germans realise the damage they have done to themselves and Europe?
Jul 19th, 2015 by Bryan Gould.
The end of a civilised Europe? Germany enforces a new gold standard
Jul 16th, 2015 by Michael Meacher.Arguably the so-called deal that has been forced down the throats of the Greek people represents the worst of all worlds. It imposes even more draconian terms than were on offer even a week or two ago, with very little conceded in terms of debt relief, but with such added conditions of austerity as will […]
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The end of my European dream
Jul 14th, 2015 by Richard Murphy.The imposition of German demands on Greece, without consideration for its democracy, sovereignty or interests, is one of those moments that changes everything. I grew up with a European dream. Born in 1958 I was politically aware from a very young age. Much informed my early views, but most influences were, inevitably, personal. I wanted […]
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After the shameful deal imposed on Greece, where are the left Eurosceptics?
Jul 14th, 2015 by Phil Burton-Cartledge.The deal imposed by the Eurozone grouping on Greece is nothing short of shameful. It continues to pile up the debt, reducing Greece to the status of a debt colony of the rich, Northern European countries. It, like all austerity programmes, expects working people, pensioners, the young to pick up the tab for payments that […]
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Greece: not “reforms” but a triumph of ideology over common sense
Jul 13th, 2015 by Bryan Gould.As the Greek crisis unfolds, we are constantly informed by the world’s media that the European power-brokers will agree to a further bail-out only if Greece implements a programme of “reforms”. Most people will see this as confirming their understanding of what the crisis is about. The Greeks, it seems, have mismanaged their economy; so […]
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The two scenarios now facing Greece
Jul 10th, 2015 by Sergio Cesaretto.The victory of ‘no’ opens two scenarios. The most likely is the further effort by the Syriza-led government to reach a new agreement with the Troika, but it is not clear why it should be given something that had not been given before. The financial upheaval of recent days may be such as to induce the […]
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What are the Labour leadership candidates saying on Greece?
Jul 8th, 2015 by Phil Burton-Cartledge.Yesterday’s vote in Greece was a momentous occasion. Almost two thirds of a people, many with politics far removed from that of its leadership, said no to demands for more austerity from the well-heeled bureaucrats of the IMF and European Central Bank, and the ministers of the European Commission. It won’t be until tomorrow that […]
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What should new Greek finance minister do next?
Jul 7th, 2015 by Ann Pettifor.The Greek people have led, so that their leaders can now follow. They have backed (with a landslide vote for “No!”) their brave and principled, if inexperienced and diplomatically inept, new government. Now they need to turn their attention to rebuilding their economy. The first step must be to begin creating a new (and hopefully […]
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After Greece votes no, what next?
Jul 6th, 2015 by Phil Burton-Cartledge.In time, they might come to call it the Tsipras Gamble. With an impossibly weak hand, no one seriously thought Syriza could pull it off. The verdict of the bail out referendum was predicted to be close, so close that it might well have been Syriza as opposed to Greece heading for the exit door. […]
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We need a Europe that’s for a better life, not one for advancing powerful interests
Jul 6th, 2015 by Bryan Gould.Like so many others, I long ago got used to being pilloried as “anti-European” for daring to say that the “Europe” we were urged to sign up to was no such thing, but was a particular arrangement cooked up by the powerful and foisted on the people of that often benighted continent without bothering either […]
