Coup talk unwarranted despite Greek army shakeup

Reuters
November 2, 2011

The Greek government's sacking of its military brass at the height of the debt crisis may signal that the cabinet sees its own days as numbered, but the outside world need not worry about the army installing a junta as it did four decades ago.

Greeks have largely shrugged off suggestions that appeared in foreign media that the firing on Tuesday of top generals might have been aimed at thwarting a coup. The military is nowhere near the formidable political force that seized power in 1967 and held it for seven years.

Nevertheless, experts on Greek politics say the move could signal haste on the part of Prime Minister George Papandreou's cabinet to make sweeping changes before it loses office amid the deepening crisis over debt.

"To reshuffle the top brass is (something) typically done by outgoing governments, which appoint some of their own to top position before leaving power," said Pepe Egger from the London-based consultancy Exclusive Analysis.

"We do not think that the move was indicative of increased coup risks, simply because the Greek army of today is not likely to even mull coup ideas," he said.

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