Greece 2012

[jaichind]

Thats interesting, because PASOK had no problem governing with 43% of the electorate in 2009

This was exactly what I was thinking a few minutes after I posted the PASOK position.

[jaichind]

It would be nice if someone would actually step up to the plate in that country and not constantly try to shift the burden to someone else.

It is sad the way the Greek politicians' inability to step up is probably giving the Germans more reason to think that Greeks are just a bunch of lazy slackers. 

Or that the Greeks are a bunch of very smart game theory players and they are doing a good cop (ND/PASOK) bad cop (SYRIZA) con job on the Germans and rest of EU.

[jaichind]

Golden Dawn   6,95%   188.708   -0,0%  change

opinion polls showed 3.9% before the blackout.   what does it mean when the only party seemingly unaffected by the last 6 weeks are the neo-nazis?

Either that there's a shy nazi factor or that something in the last two weeks worked in their favor?

I tend to guess that some of the communist votes went over the Golden Dawn.  They have similar social bases.  Whereas the communists are more of the same the Golden Dawn is at least proposing new radical solutions.

[jaichind]

 
     June 17 (New York Times) -- Alexis Tsipras, Leader of Syriza
Party, Concedes in Greek Election

[jaichind]

     Athens, Greece (AP) -- The pro-bailout New Democracy party
came in first Sunday in Greece's national election, and its
leader has proposed forming a pro-euro coalition government.
     New Democracy leader Antonis Samaras says "the Greek people
today voted for Greece to remain on its European path and in
the eurozone."
     He says voters chose "policies that will bring jobs,
growth, justice and security.
     His party beat the anti-bailout Syriza party, which wanted
to cancel Greece's international bailouts. Syriza chief Alexis
Tsipras has conceded the election.

[jaichind]

     June 17 (AFP) -- The leader of Greece's anti-austerity
radical leftist party Syriza on Sunday conceded defeat in a
general election and turned down his conservative rival's offer
to join a national unity government.
     "I spoke to (New Democracy leader Antonis) Samaras to
congratulate him. He can form a government," said Alexis
Tsipras, whose party came second with 27.1 percent of the vote
according to the first official estimates.
     "We will be here as the opposition, we represent a
majority of people opposed to the bailout deal," he said.
     hec-cb/dt/jmm

[jaichind]

Euro is up 2 cents on US dollar since the exit polls.  If PASOK refuses to join ND gov it will go the other direction real soon.

[jaichind]

     June 17 (Bloomberg) -- European governments indicated a
willingness to adjust the terms of Greece’s bailout package as
long as a new government “swiftly” emerges from today’s
closely fought election.
     “The Eurogroup expects the Troika institutions to return
to Athens as soon as a new government is in place to exchange
views with the new government on the way forward,” euro-area
finance ministers, known as the Eurogroup, said in an e-mailed
statement in Brussels tonight.

[jaichind]

     June 18 (Bloomberg) -- New Democracy leader Antonis Samaras
will meet Pasok head Evangelos Venizelos at 6 p.m.
in Athens today, New Democracy spokesman Chrisostomos Bikatzik
said in a telephone interview today.
     Samaras received a mandate to form a government
from President Karolos Papoulias earlier today after New
Democracy won elections yesterday. Pasok came third in the June
17 poll.

[jaichind]

Those of you who think German tax payers should pay for the rest of Europe without complaining or demanding anything in return...what principle is that based on?

If you've wasted all your money you can't really expect to get more with no questions asked.

I, for one, will not make sure an argument.  But such an argument can be made.  It is mostly based on the fact that lots of the Greek and Spanish troubles has its roots in German banks lending to their counterparts in Greece and Spain.  These loans, it turns out, were unsustainable.  While the Greeks and Spanish should take responsbility for this, it takes two sides for a loan to take place.  Where were the due dilgence of German banks?  Like I said, I do not posit this argument but I do feel one can make a case for this point of view.

[jaichind]

Looks like it will be ND-PASOK-DIMAR.  DIMAR was always on the fence on the Memorandum.  Of course after the last election ND-PASOK-DIMAR was the only viable coalition but PASOK and DIMAR said no.  Now after market chaos and Greece getting close to the brink, they finally has come to their senses.  That is the way things ought to be, when you do something stupid, the market will punish you and then you better be with the picture. 



     June 19 (Bloomberg) -- Democratic Left leader Fotis
Kouvelis said it was possible that an agreement on a Greek
coalition government could be reached in the next few hours.
     “Agreement on a policy roadmap is the definitive point to
form a government,” Kouvelis said after meeting with Pasok
leader Evangelos Venizelos in Athens today. “The process is
speeding up. It is possible that in the next few hours, or
within the day, a government can be decided.”
     He spoke in Athens in comments carried live on state-run
NET TV.