Re:The EU Is on the Verge of Collapse–An Interview with Geor...
by bostik on Saturday January 23, 2016 @06:46AM
(#10958080)
> "[...] allowed Greece to lie their way into the EU"
I believe you hit the nail, but not quite on the head.
The fact that it was possible to get into EU through systematic lies was a symptom of a much bigger problem. I remember when Greece joined. Everyone I know thought that it was an insane idea, because Greece simply wasn't ready or financially stable enough.
But at the time the main political drive in EU was expansion. It was almost as if the heads of EU states felt that unless the union was large enough it would be irrelevant. So the policy was expansion at all costs.
And there was nothing subtle about it. Hell, a Finnish politician got the seat of a commissary of EU expansion!
Not sure whether that was naked ambition or just institutional myopia.
I think the point was that Greece needs to change and arguably are incapable of making the decisions that need to be made. Germany felt that there was an need/opportunity to impose that change. Whether it was the right move or will be successful is a completely seperate discussion.
The rampant tax avoidance, the unsustainable pension system, the very low productivity and the culture that allowed Greece to lie their way into the EU all need to stop if they are going to be a successful part of Europe.