Greek negotiation of third bailout deal tops Harvard’s ‘worst tactics’ list
The negotiation of the third international bailout by Greece’s leftist-led administration last summer has topped Harvard Law School’s list of “Worst Negotiation Tactics of 2015.”
“As he approached European creditors this summer for a new bailout package for Greece, Alexis Tsipras, the nation’s prime minister, struck a combative tone that did not go over well,” according to a blog post on the website of the school’s Program on Negotiation (PON).
“Dissatisfied with the deal on the table, Tsipras put it up for a referendum vote in Greece. After Greeks rejected it, the Greek economy tumbled even further, and Tsipras and his team were forced to accept an even worse package from Europe,” it said.
“The lesson? A conciliatory tone will carry you much further than brinksmanship when you’re making bold requests,” it said.
Talks launched in January last year by the US government with the aim of restoring full diplomatic relations with Cuba and Washington’s efforts to negotiate a nuclear arms deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran rated second and third in the top 10 list.
Founded in 1983 and based at Harvard Law School, PON is a consortium program of Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Tufts University, with scholars and students from numerous fields of study.
