Maria Damanaki in BIMA: Greece’s European path is a one-way road – 2024-06-08 02:29:39

I took over as Commissioner of Greece to the European Union in December 2010, when our nation was residing the nightmare of the debt disaster. The primary Memorandum had already been signed.

On the Assembly of the Faculty of Commissioners each Wednesday, the subject was at all times first on the agenda. For me, issues have been very tough proper from the beginning. I used to be going through an enormous problem. I had determined to behave as a European and a Greek girl and I used to be making an attempt to see this id in a unified approach, however the dilemmas have been every day. The road I selected, and I don’t remorse it, was to acknowledge the obligations of Greece, which for too a few years adopted a path of simple consumption, spending way more than it produced and than it may, however however, in fact, it didn’t I may additionally ignore the obligations of the European Union itself, which discovered itself in the course of the debt disaster unprepared, because of the weak point of the euro structure and the carelessness of the European establishments to take measures in time to have the ability to cope with related conditions.

It’s apparent that my colleagues within the Fee seen my angle in the direction of Greece positively, however typically most popular to miss their very own obligations. I’m additionally referring to these international locations that confronted Greece with a raised finger, preferring to disregard the truth that they too had favored the simple borrowing of the Greek authorities, had turned a blind eye to the foremost structural issues that existed and have been overjoyed with the elevated consumption that facilitated the their exports.

Within the spring of 2011, after discussions with Chancellor Merkel and Finance Minister Schäuble, it had develop into clear that there was not a lot room for aid for international locations with extreme debt. All that summer season, Greece frolicked out and in of the euro. The scenario was creating into an financial, social and political nightmare. Within the Parliament, the federal government of George Papandreou, utterly remoted, voted successive packages of harsh austerity, with the New Democracy and your complete opposition reverse. Demonstrations have been a every day incidence.

Even though Greek society was reaching its limits, the markets weren’t happy. The press and worldwide analysts thought-about the rescue of Greece utterly unattainable. However the European establishments didn’t hand over. The Fee, which met in nearly every day situations, tried to keep away from the worst, and since it was serious about the way forward for Greece and Portugal, however primarily below the concern of the extension of the disaster to different European international locations, equivalent to Italy, and the whole destabilization of the euro. Along with Greek MEPs and no matter political allies there have been, we tried to convey the picture of Greece, with out at all times discovering open ears.

On September 16, Schäuble formally proposed the expulsion of Greece from the euro zone. On September 27, George Papandreou on the Summit, discovered issues very tough and determined to suggest a referendum on the approval of Greece’s newest mortgage settlement.. Thus, we reached the climax of the drama, on the most tough level of the Greek disaster. On November 2nd, on the G20 Summit in Cannes, Merkel and Sarkozy invited the Greek Prime Minister to the well-known deadlocked assembly. Fee President Barroso knowledgeable us from Cannes that he would do his finest to keep away from a referendum. There have been initiatives by others as nicely.

After just a few days we have been lastly knowledgeable that New Democracy was pondering of contributing to an answer within the face of the danger that Greece could be completely expelled from the euro zone. That is how we arrived on the Papadimos authorities and the PSI, the Greek debt aid program. There was mild on the tunnel. The scenario started to normalize solely after the passing of the second Memorandum and the completion of the PSI round March. However Greece’s journey was not over. The instability continued doubtfully all through 2012 and had the acquainted continuation with the brand new referendum with a SYRIZA authorities.

Some conclusions:

The primary conclusion is that Europe wants our belief. The Greek debt disaster proved that European establishments can take initiatives and save the scenario even when there’s a feeling within the markets that chapter is unattainable and Europe is on the sting of the cliff. The choices taken by the Fee on the time for the creation of the European Financing Mechanism and the authorization of the European Central Financial institution to proceed exceeded the appropriate limits of the treaties and proved that Europe can act in vital circumstances. In fact, it’s sluggish, it acts in very small steps, but it surely lastly exists and could be our saving reference.

The second conclusion is that Europe wants our assist, it wants the assist of these forces who, in vital moments like right now, will act pro-European and lead it ahead and never backward. It’s a disgrace that earlier than the European elections, the vital issues of the European course will not be mentioned in Greece. The European Union is as soon as once more at a vital level. If it does not change, it is going to sink. As through the Greek disaster the small step of making a banking unification was made, right now there are steps forward of a extra full financial and monetary integration, social convergence, the creation of a typical European protection, the issuance of a typical European debt. To ensure that these to proceed, pro-European forces must dominate the European Parliament and the opposite establishments of the European Union.

The third conclusion issues our nation. Greece’s European path is a one-way road for a small and single-product nation, basically primarily based on tourism. With the extra geopolitical challenges round, I consider there is no such thing as a different approach. For Greece to flourish following the European path, divisive conditions don’t profit us. The division nearly derailed us through the disaster. So it’s time to see how we are able to construct broader political alliances round Greece’s European path, primarily based additionally on the idea of compromise that’s slandered in Greece. Time to advertise the nationwide curiosity, no less than in areas the place there will not be many choices.