I love Greece. This is pretty obvious when you read most of my other articles. But when I tell people how much I love this country, or tell them that I’m trying to learn Greek, I get one of two reactions. Sometimes, people start talking about Zeus, Athena and the Ancient Greeks. I don’t know much about the Ancient Greeks, and although it’s important in understanding how the Greek people of today see themselves, I think it’s a bit overrated. The other reaction I get is “ah, Greece! They’re bankrupt now, yes?”. The answer is no, they are not bankrupt. But their financial situation has been in the news so frequently recently, I’m finding it difficult to comprehend fully. In truth, I’m not sure anyone understands, as there are so many different groups of people involved. As someone who prides themselves in their study of 20th Century Greece, however, I will try and muddle through the murky waters of the Greek Crisis so far.
It didn’t all start when Greece entered the Euro – that is, the “single European currency” that France, Germany, Spain etc. all have. Problems with corruption in Greece have existed since pre-Venizelos times (read my article on that great man to find out more about him). Corruption often means that money is going to the wrong places, and there is a lot of wrongdoing on the part of politicians and other public officials. But becoming an EU member and taking on this new currency meant that Greece was far more connected with Northern Europe than it had been before, so these countries would be keeping a far closer eye on them from now on. What happened in Greece could and would impact the rest of Europe, and that’s why people on the news are making such a fuss.
But more often than not, the newspapers and the TV will try to lay the blame on the Greek people, and how things work over there. They say the government needs to clamp down on tax evasion, and Greek people need to start paying their tax. Yes, tax evasion does need to be tackled, but so does the corruption within the government and the banking system. We might also do well to remember that big companies like Starbucks and Amazon don’t pay the right tax they’re supposed to here in the UK, so it’s not just a problem for Greece alone.
In order to help Greece continue to work as a country, money is given to banks to keep them afloat. This is supposed to enable the government to get Greece back on its feet again, but these loans don’t come without interest or terms and conditions that Greece must meet. These include cutting down on public spending, so for examples hospitals are receiving less money now. This has hit the Greek people hard, and poverty is rising in Greece quite rapidly. But nothing seems to be working on either side – the Greeks are fed up of this treatment, but in order to stay within the EU (which many Greeks feel is essential), the country must agree to these harsh terms. It’s a very sticky situation.
On the 5th July 2015, the government received another bailout offer, but the Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras allowed the people to decide. 60% of them voted against the harsh terms, and wanted a different deal. A couple of weeks later, they got one, but it wasn’t something anybody was happy with. The situation remains difficult.
Alexis Tsipras has recently resigned, and called for another election. At the time of writing this, the result has not been announced, and it’s difficult to say who will come out on top. People in Greece are fed up with all their politicians, as they almost seem to have failed them. For me and other lovers of Greece, all we can really do is continue to support and promote their beautiful country (regardless of the debt it’s in), and hope that things will work out all right for Greece eventually. I watch and wait eagerly.
Image credit: http://www.andyworthington.co.uk/2011/11/07/we-are-all-greece-expert-explains-how-the-greek-crisis-is-being-manipulated-by-banks-and-governments-to-enslave-us-all/
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