Sleepwalking toward disaster
Greece is sleepwalking out of the euro area toward a new national schism. The signs of division are here. Some of the most insane critics of Thursday’s pro-Europe rally at Syntagma Square went as far as to label the protest a Nazi gathering. “Meet you at Goudi,” the other side responded, in reference to a former army camp where executions were held.
It’s a game we know well. We went through all this during the 1821 Revolution and again during the Civil War. The seeds of this new schism were sown when irresponsible and populist politicians invented the division between pro- and anti-bailout camps. And this is much to blame for our failure to overcome the crisis.
Every civil conflict has its own bloodthirsty leaders who are driven by self-interest. You can already see them at work. In case of a deal, they will resort to divisive rhetoric because they believe that they will in this way fool their audience. In case of a rupture with the Europeans, they will seek to fan polarization to disguise the disaster and prepare the ground for a Chavez-like situation. This is not a distant scenario. Most of us have already grown accustomed to decline, the tarnishing of the institutions. Nothing really makes an impression anymore.
A schism is one of the things awaiting us at the end of all this. The drachma is another. There is no way that a country such as Greece today will be able to keep itself in the eurozone, regardless of whether we manage to get (at best) a few months’ extension and a bit more money. Even if we get all that, strong power centers will try to undermine our efforts to stay in the euro.
I have been looking out for signs that Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras knows of another way than the one he is currently following. He must finally choose between reason and insanity, between compromise and division. History will not wait forever.
Throughout its history Greece has been fortunate to have had skilled leaders who were on standby and helped rebuild the country in the wake of major catastrophe. In at least two cases – Eleftherios Venizelos and Constantine Karamanlis – the people sent them into exile before inviting them back.
But how about today? Are there any politicians who can raise their game against the tide of populism, who can wage a real battle to keep the country in the EU? I do believe they exist. However, before we go on to name them, these men must step forward and show us that they are concerned about the direction Greece has taken and that they are interested in a date with history. The majority who want Greece to remain in the EU are bound to follow.
We are not standing far from bankruptcy, a third schism or a return to the drachma. It’s time we all made up our minds.
