Would today's European leaders become Europe's undertakers? by Giorgos Kontogiannis

http://www.ovimagazine.com/art/7765


Handelsblatt, one of the most reliable financial newspapers in Germany, describes the Greek exit from the Eurozone and its consequences on the European currency. The whole article resembles to a science fiction scenario. It actually mentions that the Greek exit from the Eurozone, would lead both to the Eurozone collapse, and the creation of a new, more restricted zone of common currency among the countries of the European south.

However, a situation like this would generate a new series of problems which would alter not only the financial but also the social and political European standards. Perhaps the most important and unpromising consequence would be the definite loss of a dream for a common European market, in the frame of a global and dominant financial power. This would result in the political dominance of those powers that not only dislike a united, vivid and prosperous Europe, but also long for its dissolution and they are –direct or indirect- adherents of the “divide and rule” doctrine.

Unfortunately, today’s European leaders are not willing to comprehend this simple logic. Even those who do comprehend it, they don’t have the courage to set their European vision, which is also the vision of every EU member country, above their narrow and transient personal interest. All of these leaders are mostly interested in their political existence over a four-year period or even less. However, by the end of this period, these leaders will have been “bestowed” the title of EU’s “grave-diggers”.

Whether we wish to understand it or not, the Euro’s power is still the dollar’s greatest obstacle and Washington formulates its policy towards Europe according to this reality. Many people have argued that Eurozone collapse might have tragic consequences on the American economy. However, they should take under consideration that the financial and political structure of American authorities, renders the US economy more flexible than the equivalent European financial and political authorities, which are rigid and irresolute when met with a crisis.  This means that in the USA, a decision will be taken faster than in Europe, even if it has to be approved by two legislative bodies. In Europe, the same decision would have to be prepared by the ministers of finance, approved by the council of Heads, forwarded to the national parliaments, ratified… In the meanwhile, crisis would have had a non-reversible impact on everything. As a result every decision would have been surpassed by developments and the need for new, harder and more crucial decisions would have arisen, but even those would never be able to be implemented on time.

If we accept the terrifying scenario of the German financial newspaper “Handelsblatt”, which describes the exit of Greece from the Eurozone, and of course we firmly believe that Europe must in any case remain united, we therefore have to fight for a direct solution of the financial problems (especially the debt issues) that some EU member countries face, Greece being first and foremost.

The European partners taking decisions, must not only take under consideration the endurance of the citizens in the countries that face the problems, but also they have to be firm towards the leadership of those countries, because some of their leaders might have already started to discuss some alternative scenarios for the exit from Euro. They are motivated either by their nationalistic political views, either by their emphasis on foreign policy when they were or come to power.

Therefore, Handelsblatt has an actual point when it foresees that the decision for Greece’s exit from Euro and its return to Drachmas will be taken by the leader of the right party, called Nea Dimokratia (New Democracy) who’s policy is obviously American-friendly. It is also known that the appeal of Greece to the IMF and the delay in the application of measures that Europe proposed to the country, are decided by the also American-friendly prime Minister of Greece, Mr. Giorgos Papandreou.

European leaders must not only comprehend all the above mentioned but they must also adjust their policy to the salvation of Eurozone. This salvation can occur from the healing of Greek, Irish and Portuguese economies and also from the belief that the political and financial existence of a united Europe is much more important than the ephemeral political existence of its leaders.

Finally, every European must understand that the survival of Greece, Ireland and Portugal is directly connected to EU’s survival and therefore to the survival of every EU country. In case the European vision collapses, then the path for USA aspirations is wide open, not to mention the aspirations of the sleeping giant, namely China.