I’m Christoforos, an expat Greek in his late twenties who tries to make the most out of his nomadic life. With background in media and communications, I experience the daily struggle to find accurate information and stay open to new theories that might convince me to re-consider.
Far away from home, it could still not escape my attention that the Financial Times invited itself to the political campaign in Greece last week.
On the eve of the EP elections, a senior editor unveiled in three parts (the first appeared on Monday May 12th, the second on Thursday May 15th, while the third is expected to be found in the weekend edition of 17/18 May) juicy details of the Byzantinisms during international negotiations.
It is beyond outrageous to read lines referring to corridor talks in the G-20 Meeting held in Cannes in November 2011 with the well known consequences (the replacing of an elected Prime Minister by a technocrat in Greece) and the shadow negotiations in the time in between the two successive parliamentary election periods in Greece (May/ June 2012) coined by the term Plan Z. Equally outrageous is the suspicious silence by the involved protagonists both in Greece and in Brussels to confirm or deny these revelations.
In a poorly informative, let alone inspiring election campaign, there is much speculation about crucial matters such as the restructuring of the Greek debt, either by extending the repayment period (publicly appraised) or a second haircut affecting institutional debt holders. The date for decisions has been postponed till after the EP elections (although negotiations are secretly held). But this doesn’t guarantee that the new assembly will have a say in it. It is highly likely that it will find itself again on the sidelines.
Why this note now? Because the limitations of a real change within the current structures become apparent on many occasions. The world will not stop moving on the evening of May 22nd. However, a lot of questions will arise from the impact assessment of the EC candidates’ political tours, the American-style EU debates (sic) and last but not least, the cost-effectiveness of EU campaigns by Brussels-based networks/ federations/ clubs/ foundations, many of which, located around Meeus Square and funded by EU taxpayers’ money, must be held accountable and share the responsibility for the results.
P.S. The text has been drafted before the first round of the communal and regional elections in Greece.