Specter of isolation

The country’s history shows that Greece got itself into trouble every time it found itself isolated from the rest of the world. Now the government in Athens finds itself up against all the other countries in the eurozone as well as powerful decision-making centers. Meanwhile, Greece’s credibility has been seriously damaged in the last few months.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras’s government would have achieved a great deal had it sought to negotiate in a more persistent and reasonable fashion. Too bad the administration adopted an arrogant and extremely risky strategy.

Greek voters supported SYRIZA hoping for a better deal – not to see them trying out different bargaining tricks. Now the lies are over. Tsipras will inevitably come to be identified with a bankruptcy or euro exit. A decision between reason and insanity, compromise and division is long overdue. Time has all but run out. Tsipras must take some difficult decisions. If he has decided to cause a rupture and a return to the drachma, he has an obligation to inform voters and ask for their approval.