Greeks rage at erosion of sovereignty while leaders haggle over deal

by Patrick Cockburn

Independent
February 17, 2012

Greek leaders express frustration and anger at the rapid erosion of their country's sovereignty by German and eurozone leaders, but see no alternative but to accept quasi-colonial control in return for the €130bn (£110bn) rescue package.

Greece's capacity to take the important decisions on its future is becoming very limited as decision-making on such matters as the choice of the Greek prime minister, the date for the next general election and the supervision of the expenditure of the bailout shifts to Berlin and Brussels. Greeks are now about to be hit by the sixth austerity package in five years.

Acrimony reached a new peak in the last few days, as the German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble expressed doubts about Greece sticking to its promises and saying its appetite for foreign funds was like "a bottomless pit".

"Who is Mr Schaeuble to insult Greece?" the Greek President Karolos Papoulias said furiously. He berated other eurozone critics, asking: "Who are the Dutch? Who are the Finnish?" But, despite openly expressed hostility, Greek political leaders and the public see little alternative but to submit. George Tzogopoulos, of the Bodossakis, Foundation think tank, an expert on Greek public opinion and its response to the financial crisis, said that people's attitudes are more realistic on the question of meeting the demands of the Troika – the EU, European Central Bank and IMF – than they were four months ago.

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