Greek front-runners vow to stay in euro after elections

[AtW]

"Angela Merkel will have to “invent a way” to kick Greece out of the eurozone, a leading Greek politician has claimed, as all political parties promise to renegotiate the country’s €130bn (£105bn) bailout agreement after tomorrow’s pivotal elections.

George Stathakis, the left-wing MP for Crete who could become finance minister if Syriza clinch the Greek election, said his party intends to “stop at once” several conditions of the bailout.

Mrs Merkel, the German Chancellor, has warned that Greece’s membership of the eurozone is dependent on Athens sticking to the terms of the agreement. She underscored this position today, warning that Greece’s bailout will not be renegotiated.

“That’s why it’s so important that the Greek elections preferably lead to a result in which those that will form a future government say: ‘yes, we will stick to the agreements’,” Mrs Merkel said.

“We will have to speak to any government. I can only warn everyone against leaving the currency union. The internal cohesion of the eurozone would be in danger.”

But Mr Stathakis, an economics professor and one of Syriza’s key financial policymakers, said the party wants to stay in the euro but is prepared to call the bluff of Berlin and Brussels to secure a better deal for Greece. "

Source: Greek front-runners vow to stay in euro after elections - Telegraph

Unlike BrilloPad Greek's are very acutely aware of what REAL hardship exiting euro will cause - I thikn BrilloPad should get a place in IMF - very well known for giving crazy recepies that cause lots of pain

[minestrone]

Merkel should be taken out and put down, why these germanics are trying it on again is beyond me. Bomb the feckers, bomb Dresden and bomb Berlin.

[centurian]

Except according to unofficial opinion polls, they are not the front runners anymore.

[Doggy Styles]

The euro is killing Greece. For "we want to stay in the euro" read "we want to receive eurozone bailouts ad infinitum".

[TimberWolf]

It's a bit of a slippery slope to have to renegotiate a deal every 6 months handing over more wonga each time. The whole Greek tragedy is built on a foundation of a nest of lies, and any foundation based on a metaphor is surely going to come crashing down in the smallest of economic breezes.

[russell]

The problem is, Spain were given a huge bailout without any "memorandum", so Greece is entitled to the same, no way will the Germans force Greece to leave the Euro now, it would do more damage. Merkel is just trying to play it tough to see her through the elections.

[Waldorf]

The problem is, Spain were given a huge bailout without any "memorandum", so Greece is entitled to the same, no way will the Germans force Greece to leave the Euro now, it would do more damage. Merkel is just trying to play it tough to see her through the elections.

Spain is not the same as Greece.

Spain, unlike the disaster known as Gordon Brown, ran budget surpluses until the recent meltdown and still have a smaller debt, as a % of GDP, than Germany, France etc let alone Italy and Greece.

What hit Spain was a property boom similar to Irelands, so it the dodgy regional banks that need bailing out form their bad loans and unsaleable property they have not started to off load.

Greece joined the euro and started to use the much lower interest rates to borrow money to splash out on the voters with higher wages, huge pensions etc.

Greece in the long term can not stay in the euro.

[minestrone]

Ed Balls is the answer, he knows what to do. Problems with your deficit? Consumer confidence!

[russell]

Spain is not the same as Greece.

Spain, unlike the disaster known as Gordon Brown, ran budget surpluses until the recent meltdown and still have a smaller debt, as a % of GDP, than Germany, France etc let alone Italy and Greece.

What hit Spain was a property boom similar to Irelands, so it the dodgy regional banks that need bailing out form their bad loans and unsaleable property they have not started to off load.

Greece joined the euro and started to use the much lower interest rates to borrow money to splash out on the voters with higher wages, huge pensions etc.

Greece in the long term can not stay in the euro.

Not the point, a bailout is a bailout, and no-none want it to break up, Greece leaving will cause a domino effect and beofre you know it there will be no Euro. Just like UK's north (Scotland) oil subsidises the southern lazy UK regions, the same will happen here, political and fiscal union will follow.

[BrilloPad]

Angela Merkel will have to “invent a way” to kick Greece out of the eurozone, a leading Greek politician has claimed, as all political parties promise to renegotiate the country’s €130bn (£105bn) bailout agreement after tomorrow’s pivotal elections.

Merkel will not have to invent anything. Just wait for the Greeks to fail to stick to austerity. Then no more bail out. Then Greeks cannot rollover debt.

Just a few more months to wait now.