Treatment of Greece shows EU is damaged beyond repair
WHAT has happened in Greece is indeed a coup (“Cameron: Euro deal offers the best hope for Greece”, The Herald, July 14). The results of the referendum have been undone and Germany has insisted on effectively taking control of Greece’s finances. Angela Merkel has gone full circle to the days when she worked as a propagandist for the East German Government, actively seeking to maintain its rule, and has struck the worst blow to democracy seen in Western Europe since the days of Franco.
Not only that, but European officials have made it clear they pushed for harsher measures directly because of the No vote in the referendum. Greece had to be punished.
Europe is now openly hostile to democracy and a vote that so much as irks those who run it must be responded to with devastating force.
It rather makes one wonder what would have happened following a vote for Scottish independence. Perhaps they would have been relieved to have an independent Scotland as a more reliable partner than the UK but it is also possible that they would have done all they could to punish Scotland simply because a democratic vote that rocks the boat is not tolerable to them.
The decision of the Greek Prime Minister, Alexis Tsipras, does seem understandable given the first interview former Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis has given since resigning, where he made clear his preference to leave the euro in face of this alternative but says he could not give Mr Tsiparis a guarantee that it would work. Faced with this choice, Mr Tsiparis would not take the risk and Mr Varoufakis had to go. I certainly understand the desire not to take the risk, but in light of the advantage taken by European power brokers it is undoubtedly the wrong one because, not only will the Greek economy be wrecked in a way beyond even what has been seen before, but Greek democracy is now effectively over.
A foreign country has assumed control of the country’s finances and has reversed a referendum vote from barely a week previously.
The German Government may be elated that it has used the structure of the EU to destroy Greek democracy and many of the figures in the EU leadership itself may also feel they have won, but they may just have won Samson’s victory pulling the temple down on themselves. Britain has an upcoming referendum on EU membership and many of us are watching what happened in Greece closely.
My intention – right up until the weekend – was to vote to remain in the EU for all its flaws. How can I do that now? The EU now seems rotten beyond repair; I no longer see how it can be reformed to something better. Unless what is under way in Greece is halted in the next few days I will vote to leave the EU. Iain Paterson, 2F Killermont View, Glasgow. AS a former Member of the European Parliament, I have traditionally been a pro-EU supporter. The many progressive directives of the EU on the environment and employment rights have been beneficial to British people, and the educational, cultural and social links have helped open up Europe for all its citizens. Above all, it has produced a long period of peace and stability where differences are decided in debates in the European Parliament and decisions by the Council of Ministers.
However, I have to say my pro-EU views have been somewhat challenged in recent months by EU decisions, firstly by the negotiation in secret of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership ( TTIP) treaty, which seems to be largely in favour of global capitalism and not citizens, but above all the appalling treatment of Greece, which not only will continue to impoverish the Greek people but effectively takes away democratic rights from the home of democracy.
The measures taken by the EU against Greece are not only bad for Greece they are bad for the EU and for one of the key principles of the EU that is solidarity.
In addition, the dominance of the German economy has begun to provoke a backlash in Greece and the rest of Europe.
Previous German leaders conscious of their recent history always took a broad view of their European responsibilities. I am afraid Angela Merkel seems to take a much narrower view, looking only after German interests. In Greece this has brought back painful memories of German occupation and of course the irony that Greece among other European countries helped to create the German economic miracle by writing off much of German debt in 1953.
At a time when we are going to decide on continued UK membership of the EU these are not helpful conditions. I still believe in the idea of sharing our sovereignty with Europe and indeed globally. However, it must be a different kind of Europe, one that protects its workers and citizens and above all an EU that engages in solidarity and not oppressing its members. Hugh Kerr (MEP 1994-99), Wharton Square, Edinburgh.