For 3 years up to now Greece is doing exactly one and the same thing - simulation of reforms and periodically inventing new reasons of not making reforms. These reasons are of so called "inevitable" type and require stepping back from promises given to international donors that finance the bankrupted country.

Whatever we see - strikes, street protests, scandals in parliament, turmoil in ruling party, resignation of any high government official or whatever else - the Greeks are doing so and the same thing - a theatre just to win time and get the EU money without making spending cuts. Winning time is obviously a working strategy as Greece every time receives money and every time it is the "last" time donors make compromise. Such a circus apparently just works...

So was the last action. Greeks has made 2 repeated elections with almost identical results. The same coalition that was formed now, could be formed after the previous elections in May. Instead Greeks just dissolved the parliament and have won another time of not making reforms. Now the new government will say it is just going in power and needs time. So it will ask the reforms to be postponed. And when this postponement expires, Greeks will invent another reason to ask for a new postponement.

The draft of Antonis Samaras' initial program was published in media. We can see the SYRIZA political pre-election promises to become a real policy, although SYRIZA is not in government after decided to stay in opposition. When New Democracy party won the elections it was expected that it will fulfill the Greek commitment to make reforms. Instead we see a stop of reforms and even a roll back of some of them.

So it is clear the only thing that Greece wants is to continue receiving the international aid, but without reforming its bankrupted economy. I.e. Greece just wants to keep its living standard and other EU countries to continue paying for this. And among the donors are countries poorer than Greece, and also - non-eurozone members...

If EU leaders continue with their stupidity, Greece will never step back and do what must be done. And why to do this when there is always a naive savior to pay your bill...

Dobri
June 24th 2012