Samaras “No” Vote Helped Papandreou

A nice article in Athens News with the view that Samaras did Papandreou a favour by voting NO. It is a nice article if you ignore the facts of the Greek situation.

If you bear with with me I will take the article to pieces bit by bit.

It starts

ANTONIS Samaras’ decision this week to cite his “principles” as the justification for New Democracy’s refusal to give the government a vote of confidence may have done more harm than good – for both Greece and his party. – Okay I am prepared to listen to your point of view. It’s a big statement saying his decision harmed his party and Greece but let’s see

At a time when the entire world economy seemed to hinge on whether Prime Minister George Papandreou would secure parliamentary approval, Samaras’ stance further eroded the low standing of Greek politics in the eyes of the international media. – First of all the Greek politicians concern is the Greek people first and foremost. When they are doing the best for the Greek people, then they can look at the big picture. Further eroded the low standing of Greek politics? The author has lost me here, I don’t recall any international media source having a “low” opinion of Greek politics. If he was refering to the opinion of politics amongst the Greek media, then okay, what he says is correct.

Given that Portugal and Ireland – faced with a similar scourge of austerity – have already found a way to build political consensus, it strikes outsiders as odd that Greece cannot do the same. As a consequence, despite public declarations of satisfaction by European and world leaders, many analysts still insist that Greece will not avoid a default in the long run. – It stikes outsiders as odd? He may be right be I would argue there are an equally large number of people who would say Greece may as well default now rather than later. And the author himself acknowledges that “many analysts still insist that Greece will not avoid default”. Okay so what benefits are there for the Greek to default later rather than now? The author does not say. With regards to Portugal Span and Ireland being face with similar austerity. Greece is further along the austerity road and has also done more. Time will tell if consensus continues in Portugal, Spain and Ireland.

In an interview to the Financial Times, Samaras described the government’s policies as “fundamentally misconceived” because they fail to recognise that Greece’s economy must grow for the country to be able to repay its debt. And that may indeed be correct. But the fact remains that “there is no plan B”, or other way out, according to EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barrosso. – The author is fair to Samaras, he spells out his position exactly and the author even says that Samaras may be correct. But then he dismisses all that because “there is no plan B”. So lets recap that last sentence, the author agrees with Samaras’s position but dismisses it for a sound bite. Sorry, surely the author should ask why Papandreou has not done his job and given Greece a plan B, why has Papandreou led Greece into hole from which the only way is further down? But no, nothing, Just, “I agree with what your saying, it could be correct, but there are no options on the table which allow Greece to do the best thing”. Come on, let’s have some deeper journalism here, let’s look deeper than skin that is shown by the politicians in power. Let us ask if Papandreou is a competent negotiator

The author even acknowledges that Greece is in the metaphorical hole with no way out when he refers to Barrosso’s comments.

Here are a couple videos about Barrosso so there is no confusion about the type of man that is telling Greece that there is no way out. Let there be no confusion who the author of this piece is agreeing with, over and above a Greek citizen, Samaras, who the author acknowldeges could even be correct in disagreeing with Panadrou, Barrosso and the Troika.
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The atricle continues It is not a foregone conclusion that he will get his way, considering the dissent within his own party and the disgruntled electorate over the terms of the bailout. However, the perception among ruling party officials that Samaras has opted to travel down the road of petty partisan politics rather than join the effort to lead Greece out of the crisis may get them to close ranks behind their prime minister. If they decide not to, it will open the way for early elections and the possibility of New Democracy returning to power, if only in a power-sharing capacity. Paradoxically, Papandreou’s hand may have been strengthened.
– Okay now the author has changed his tack, he has gone from giving comments to what seems to be, reporting the opnions of “ruling officials” whoever they are.

Anyway, he reports the opinion of these officials referring to Samaras’s pricinicples, (the same ones he says could be correct at the start of the article), as being “petty partisan politics”.

I’m confused, has he changed his mind and now thinks Samaras is not correct or is he pointing out the mistakes of the “ruling party officials”, I do not know.

He concludes that Samaras’s no vote could have strengthened PASOK’s resolve for the new measures. But as opposed to what? Samamras voting with PASOK and this weakening the PASOK position?

It seems Samaras can’t win with this author. Vote YES and Samaras is strengthening PASOK’s position, Vote NO and Samaras strengthens PASOK’s position.

The facts as I see them remain. Samaras has in effect said Papandreou has done a crap job. Of all the time he has had to negotiate for Greece he has come away from the Troika with only one option to present to the Greek people. …well that is not strictly true. Papandreou has come away from the “negotiations” with 2 options,

Option 1 is massive austerity which will see the Greek economy dessimated and in the long run will inevitablly lead to default according to many analysts

Option 2 is catastrophe

Is Papandreou the best neogiator Greece has got? Because if this is it then Barrosso could be correct.

But fortunately there appears to be a beacon of common sense in the fog of confusion. This beacon is Samaras. His view is that Greece must be given the opportunity to grow if it is to have a future. Okay Samaras has got a plan, why don’t the Greeks give him a chance to see if he can negotiate with the Troika more effectively than Papanderou and come away with a deal which allows the Greek economy to grow.

There is a lot of apathy amongst the Greek populos for elections, maybe I am niave about Greek politics. But I think Samaras should be given a chance.

But then again people fell for Papandreou’s promises when he was campaigning. He said Greece had no problems, that Greece had the money. And look what happened. Maybe Samaras is playing the same game.

Big talk now but if/when he gets to power he may fold completely like Papandreou. Of course it is a possibility but from what I understand ND has a track record of supporting business and of not taxing the people.

The question is can Greece depend on the track record? Given the situation at the moment, it has to be worth a punt. If there were elections in Greece now it is unclear if Samaras would get a clear majority so there would be some power sharing. A LAOS ND coalition would be interesting, they seem quite closely aligned with regards to these measures and LOAS is anti banking from what I understand which is a definite bonus.

Personally anything different to PASOK, Papandreou, Venizelos and Pangalos has got to be worth a shot. I mean, it cannot get any worse, both talking about the present and the future of Greece.

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