Gangster Capitalism (09/04/16)
How ironic it is that the left-wing style of student politics which is the driving force behind the current Greek Government should try and get into bed with the gangster form of capitalism that embodies President Putin's Russia.
The term 'idiot leftism' has been used to describe what Alexis Tsiparis and his chums in Syriza are all about and this latest attempt to play Russia off against European neighbours who have been keeping the Greek economy afloat, says to me that the EU would be better off with Greece outside the tent altogether.
Because at the moment Syriza are intent on 'pissing' in one direction only - thanks to their juvenile politics and tieless but clueless politicians.
Tsipras plays Russian roulette with Greek debt
Alexis Tsipras has hopes for stronger ties with Russia Reynaldo Paganelli/Corbis
The term 'idiot leftism' has been used to describe what Alexis Tsiparis and his chums in Syriza are all about and this latest attempt to play Russia off against European neighbours who have been keeping the Greek economy afloat, says to me that the EU would be better off with Greece outside the tent altogether.
Because at the moment Syriza are intent on 'pissing' in one direction only - thanks to their juvenile politics and tieless but clueless politicians.
Tsipras plays Russian roulette with Greek debt
Alexis Tsipras has hopes for stronger ties with Russia Reynaldo Paganelli/Corbis
By Anthee Carassava - The Times
Greece’s prime minister takes his fundraising quest to Moscow today in a transparent attempt to play Russia off against the European Union.
The visit, the first by Alexis Tsipras since taking office in January, comes as Greece grapples with critical negotiations with its European and international lenders to unlock desperately needed loan instalments to avoid bankruptcy. It coincides with the emergence of “stunning evidence” in Greece that Germany owes Athens €279 billion for damages wrought by the Nazis during the Second World War.
Yesterday Greek officials insisted that Mr Tsipras would not be seeking Russian money as an alternative to the existing €240 billion bailout financed by the EU and the International Monetary Fund. They did not exclude the possibility of an offer being made.
Sergei Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, pledged recently that Moscow would “examine positively ” any loan request from Greece, a fellow Orthodox Christian state.
The trade-off, experts suggest, could be Greek help in ending EU sanctions on Russia for its aggression in Ukraine. Greece could also boycott a pipeline which the EU hopes will tap Caspian gas and bypass Russian territory.
Pundits and politicians in Athens warn however that the result could put Greece on a collision course with Europe, imperilling its negotiations with creditors.
“With the talks at a critical point now, the last thing Greece needs is to alienate itself from the EU,” Constantinos Filis, research director of the Athens-based Institute of International relations, said. “Russia may offer a supplementary solution to Greece’s fiscal problems but it is no substitute for the EU and its creditors.”
Since winning the elections Mr Tsipras and his left-wing Syriza party have made no secret of designs to revive relations with Russia, ruffling feathers among European partners with comments suggesting that Greece might not support EU sanctions.
Whether those remarks signal a nostalgia for Syriza’s communist-rooted past or a tactical move by Athens to pressure western creditors is unclear. However, by sending mixed signals to Brussels and Moscow and playing each side against the other, Greece risks becoming isolated, Mr Filis warned.
“To the Europeans, such tactical moves may have Athens looking like an opportunistic, unreliable ally, rupturing much needed trust,” he said. “To Moscow, cultivating false hopes on sanctions could damage relations and the prospect of Russian investments.”
Last week, Athens asked Russia to grant Greece lower gas prices — a move President Putin is likely to announce during talks with Mr Tsipras.
Greece and Russia have long held cordial ties. The strongest glue is anti-German sentiment. An estimated 63 per cent of Greeks hold a positive view of Russia against 23 per cent for the EU, according to recent surveys.
On the eve of Mr Tsipras’s visit to Moscow, Athens took its anti-German rhetoric up a notch, claiming Germany owed wartime reparations, including damages, interest and forced loans.
Panos Kammenos,the defence minister, said that Greece had obtained records held by the US military that reviewed the extent of damage to property during Nazi occupation.
Greece’s prime minister takes his fundraising quest to Moscow today in a transparent attempt to play Russia off against the European Union.
The visit, the first by Alexis Tsipras since taking office in January, comes as Greece grapples with critical negotiations with its European and international lenders to unlock desperately needed loan instalments to avoid bankruptcy. It coincides with the emergence of “stunning evidence” in Greece that Germany owes Athens €279 billion for damages wrought by the Nazis during the Second World War.
Yesterday Greek officials insisted that Mr Tsipras would not be seeking Russian money as an alternative to the existing €240 billion bailout financed by the EU and the International Monetary Fund. They did not exclude the possibility of an offer being made.
Sergei Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, pledged recently that Moscow would “examine positively ” any loan request from Greece, a fellow Orthodox Christian state.
The trade-off, experts suggest, could be Greek help in ending EU sanctions on Russia for its aggression in Ukraine. Greece could also boycott a pipeline which the EU hopes will tap Caspian gas and bypass Russian territory.
Pundits and politicians in Athens warn however that the result could put Greece on a collision course with Europe, imperilling its negotiations with creditors.
“With the talks at a critical point now, the last thing Greece needs is to alienate itself from the EU,” Constantinos Filis, research director of the Athens-based Institute of International relations, said. “Russia may offer a supplementary solution to Greece’s fiscal problems but it is no substitute for the EU and its creditors.”
Since winning the elections Mr Tsipras and his left-wing Syriza party have made no secret of designs to revive relations with Russia, ruffling feathers among European partners with comments suggesting that Greece might not support EU sanctions.
Whether those remarks signal a nostalgia for Syriza’s communist-rooted past or a tactical move by Athens to pressure western creditors is unclear. However, by sending mixed signals to Brussels and Moscow and playing each side against the other, Greece risks becoming isolated, Mr Filis warned.
“To the Europeans, such tactical moves may have Athens looking like an opportunistic, unreliable ally, rupturing much needed trust,” he said. “To Moscow, cultivating false hopes on sanctions could damage relations and the prospect of Russian investments.”
Last week, Athens asked Russia to grant Greece lower gas prices — a move President Putin is likely to announce during talks with Mr Tsipras.
Greece and Russia have long held cordial ties. The strongest glue is anti-German sentiment. An estimated 63 per cent of Greeks hold a positive view of Russia against 23 per cent for the EU, according to recent surveys.
On the eve of Mr Tsipras’s visit to Moscow, Athens took its anti-German rhetoric up a notch, claiming Germany owed wartime reparations, including damages, interest and forced loans.
Panos Kammenos,the defence minister, said that Greece had obtained records held by the US military that reviewed the extent of damage to property during Nazi occupation.
