Misguided complacency

Another crucial bailout review begins on Monday, when the mission chiefs representing the country’s international creditors are scheduled to arrive in Athens to hold the first round of talks with ministers.

The climate of complacency the government is trying to cultivate is anything but comforting when you bear in mind not just past experience, but also the scramble that has been taking place in the last few weeks to implement the measures required to disburse the 800 million euros pending from the completion of the second review of the bailout program.

The third review needs to be completed as quickly as possible. If certain ministers start dragging their feet as they usually do to stall the process, then the impact on the very fragile economy may very well be catastrophic, so the government needs to make sure that none of the progress that has been made to this point with so much trouble and sacrifice is lost.