Very few, if any, survived for long after such a sharp about-turn!
Pity it turned out this way; a letdown in more ways than one!
Certainly, many pages will be written about the events leading to the Greek referendum, but I suspect even more will be said about that week which saw, from one point of view, the Greek hero brought to his knees. From another stand point, it was nothing short of a betrayal. In a desperate bid to appease Brussels, Mr Tsipras seems to have suppressed some of his inner convictions, which in itself is an unpardonable error to self; while further compounding the issue by playing up to the OXI electorate. Little wonder there is such bewilderment and anger on Greek streets.
Tsipras is that good boy at the mercy of an all engulfing corporation. It seems to me that Tsipras failed to fully understand what our illustrious compatriot Dom Mintoff had to say of Europe in the early seventies: "Ewropa ta' Kain!" Η Ευρώπη των Kain! In such cases there is very little or no scope for discussion, as the terms are dictated by the people on the horse!
The EU has undergone significant mutations since its inception. The initial six were what remained of a war that devastated Europe, and hence they shared common economic, political and cultural interests to band together in order to improve the quality of their lives. This they achieved in a relatively short time, though certain areas such as southern Italy and Sicily are known to have lacked chronically behind. For most keen observers, this early discrepancy was significant enough to be alert to the possibility of what later was to develop into the two-tier EU we have at present.
The unique problem as posed by the UK since the very beginning will come to a head next year!
However, as though this were not enough, much more is in store as the ever-growing resistance against the seemingly 'democratic', but truly autocratic institutions, heavy both in bureaucracy and in hand, gains ground despite much fanfare to the contrary!!
If Europe is to survive in some decent, truly democratic form; it must, before long, come to terms with the way it addresses her citizens. Authority must always come from the ground up; and decisions taken must reflect all main arguments and counter arguments, hence reaching as wide a consensus as possible.
As we're all painfully aware, a slim majority in any given committee division, election or referendum does not necessarily render null and void the counter arguments brought by the diverging Opposition group/s; and far less render such exponents buffoons or second order beings!
The earlier our Europe regains her soul, the earlier we can all benefit from a revived Europe based on a truly fair and functioning social democracy.
Ramon Borg-Bartolo
Glasgow
Scotland