The Greek government’s target of zero public sector layoffs and the troika’s of 150,000 over ten years are both ultimately self-defeating

The new Greek government recently announced that there would be no layoffs in the public sector, flying in the face of the country’s agreements with the IMF and the ECB to implement public administration reforms. For Kevin Featherstone, the futility of this target is matched by the troika’s (the ECB, EU, and IMF) demand for 150,000 public sector job cuts over the next 10 years. He argues that both of these targets are self-defeating and will do nothing to encourage Greece to change its priorities towards designing a new economic model for the country

Recent political developments mean that Greece is no longer on the brink of economic collapse: but the European Commission, the ECB and the IMF will be keeping a close watch for some time to come.

The recent crisis of the Greek economy, and the threat of its withdrawal from the Eurozone, was only averted by the rejection of a referendum on the EU bail-out and the resignation of the country’s prime minister. Kevin Featherstone argues that, while the situation has now stabilised, instability and uncertainty still remain. European and global economic institutions will be keeping a close eye on the Greece’s political developments.

Waking up to a nightmare? A UK exit from the EU would be a ‘lose-lose’ for both sides

What might a UK exit from the European Union mean for Europe’s future? So far, the Brexit debate has been largely concentrated within these islands and few other EU states have focussed on it as a likely or imminent prospect. But, as the rest of Europe wakes up to the evidence of the opinion polls that the British may well vote in the coming months to leave, there are the stirrings of serious alarm, writes Kevin Featherstone. He suggests that the best strategy for Britain’s partners would be to wait for London to present its proposals for a future relationship. Especially since the domestic ramification of a Brexit for the rest of Europe will be a boost to the anti-European political extremes and populists. Furthermore, a Brexit will threaten the global role of both the UK and the EU, and ultimately it will be a will be a ‘lose-lose’ for both sides

We demand inertia!

The fate of Greece seems caught between the crudity of the Troika and the inertia of the domestic politicians proclaiming to save it. With suitors like these, the Goddess Athena should retain her virginity

Greece: when populism fails

Despite another series of meetings on Thursday, there remains no deal between Greece and its creditors. Kevin Featherstone writes that Greece now stands on the brink of a catastrophe brought on by European myopia and Greek populism. He argues that whatever agreement emerges from the negotiations, it will clearly contradict the promises made by Syriza during the 2015 election, with no end to austerity and the country holding on to its status in the Eurozone by its fingertips

When populism fails

Some years ago at the start of the crisis, I wrote in ‘Kathimerini’ that Greece might have to experience a ‘catastrophe’ before it would truly reform and get onto a better economic path. I hoped that such an outcome might be avoided by the emergence of a broad reform coalition able to take the necessary measures. In the event, too many reforms were thwarted, not implemented, or their logic denied. This last week, we saw Greece and its creditors face the reality of catastrophe. The ground shook. Neither the government nor its European counterparts were up to the challenge: there were no heroes or villains, we were left to decry the mess both sides had created and we held our breath. And we still are: who knows what agreement will be finally secured and whether it can last? The ramifications are immense

Can Greece make the choice?

So, Greece has reached the end-game, but it is one with uncertain choices. A political shambles has led the country to this point and more political games may be on the way. To many European observers, the election may not offer voters real or credible choices: on the one hand, too many reform promises may prove paper-thin, as in the past; or, the offer of a radically-different path may be eradicated by events and external pressures

If May fights on, a hard Brexit is inevitable. Only Boris Johnson might avert it

If Theresa May manages to carry on as Prime Minister, her precarious position within the Conservative Party and in Parliament will leave her a weaker negotiator. Kevin Featherstone argues that if she fights on – and either returns from Brussels without a deal, or is ousted after failing to secure an acceptable one – Tory party politics make a hard Brexit inevitable. Were Boris Johnson to take over before negotiations begin, he might have the political capital to make the compromises a less destructive Brexit would require

SYRIZA is not just for ‘Christmas’…

It is too easy to see SYRIZA’s election victory in Greece as a victory for the European Left against the crippling policies of austerity being imposed on the ‘bail-out’ countries of the euro-zone. Only manic followers of German ordo-liberalism would continue to assert that the medicine is working in Greece

It’s all Greek to me: on the parallels with the UK referendum campaign

There are disturbing similarities between the Greek austerity referendum from 2015 and the upcoming British vote on the EU. They are both exercises in a new kind of populism. Kevin Featherstone shows how in both Britain and Greece it is education and occupation which unite the voters who support this populism