Grecia (Continuación)

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Russia’s effort to keep Ukraine under its thumb prompted a revolution in 2014 and a war that has claimed more than 10,000 lives. It also prompted, on Monday, what may be one of the most serious splits in Christendom since the Great Schism between Rome and Constantinople in 1054 and the Protestant Reformation 500 years ago. This new crisis has deep historical roots, and could shape religious and secular ties among many countries for years to come.

Here’s what happened: The Church of Russia announced this week that it was breaking ties with the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, which has primacy in Orthodoxy and which has decided to give autonomy to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.…  Seguir leyendo »

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Con el otoño abriéndose paso en Europa, es tiempo de cosechar los frutos de meses de arduo trabajo diplomático en los Balcanes. El día 30 de septiembre, se celebrará un referéndum consultivo en la Antigua República Yugoslava de Macedonia que podría llevar al país a adoptar el nombre de “República de Macedonia del Norte”. Una amplia victoria del “sí” —combinada con una elevada participación— reforzaría enormemente a los partidarios del cambio en el Parlamento macedonio, que deberá pronunciarse sobre la necesaria reforma constitucional. En caso de aprobarse, será el Parlamento griego quien tendrá la última palabra.

La adopción de este nuevo nombre no representaría un mero ejercicio de economía lingüística, sino que pondría fin a 27 años de tira y afloja entre los Gobiernos macedonio y griego.…  Seguir leyendo »

Demonstration in Syntagma Square in Athens, Greece. Photo Getty Images.

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On 20 August, the Greek government is scheduled to exit its IMF bailout programme, ending a series of three programmes that have run continuously since 2010. The Greek programme was the largest, most high-profile and most politically controversial in a series of post-global financial crisis bailouts of EU member states organized by the so-called ‘troika’ consisting of the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the IMF.

Politically, the course of action taken by the troika has been seen as controversial at best. The Greek economy has now suffered the longest recession of any advanced capitalist economy, overtaking the slump suffered by the US during the Great Depression in 1929.…  Seguir leyendo »

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After an astonishing 27 years at odds, in June, Macedonia and Greece reached a dramatic breakthrough in negotiations over what’s known as the Macedonia naming dispute. The dispute was, yes, over the former Yugoslavian nation’s name — but over much more as well, as we’ll see below. And after all that time, the June agreement solved the dispute simply: by renaming Macedonia as the “Republic of North Macedonia.”

What was at stake here — and why did resolving it take nearly three decades? Examining the long and complicated process can teach us a few practical lessons about international mediation.

A brief history of the naming dispute

In 1991, Macedonia declared independence from Yugoslavia and wrote into its constitution that its name was the Republic of Macedonia.…  Seguir leyendo »

A house is threatened by a huge blaze during a wildfire in Kineta, near Athens, on July 23, 2018. Credit Valerie Gache/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

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Four days after the wildfire that raced down from the mountains, incinerating all before it, cars were once again tangled up in traffic jams in this seaside resort’s narrow streets. Search parties combed ruined homes for bodies; volunteers sought out injured and frightened pets. The nation was in mourning, shocked by the magnitude of the disaster, shaken by the stories of victims and the missing.

In a V-shaped bend where on Monday desperate residents and visitors found themselves trapped, unable to escape the heat that melted even the metal of their cars, vehicles carrying survivors who had returned to salvage some possessions, volunteers, journalists and the simply curious edged carefully past one another as they sought a way out of Mati.…  Seguir leyendo »

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El lunes pasado, una calamidad bíblica se abatió sobre el Ática. Vi los primeros signos bien entrada la mañana, en el aeropuerto de Atenas, donde me despedía de mi hija que partía a Australia. Un fuerte olor a madera en combustión me hizo mirar al cielo, donde me atrajo un pálido sol, envuelto en la elocuente oscuridad diurna que sólo un eclipse, o una espesa y alta columna de humo pueden causar.

Al atardecer empezaron a llover noticias. Las casas de muchos amigos y parientes en el este de Ática estaban destruidas. Incendios forestales descontrolados se habían extendido hacia la densamente edificada línea costera, aislando los pueblos de Mati y Rafina de Atenas y obligando a los residentes a huir hacia el mar.…  Seguir leyendo »

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For centuries, even when Athens was a bastion of the West during the Cold War, Greece and Russia have seen themselves as natural allies. Both are Christian Orthodox nations on Islam’s western frontiers; even as a NATO member, Greece tried to maintain channels of communication with the Soviet Union. Yet a sudden dispute over alleged Russian meddling in Greek affairs has escalated rapidly. This could have long-term consequences for Greek-Russian ties and for the Western Balkans.

This month, Athens informed Moscow that it was expelling two Russian diplomats and refusing entry to two others. Among the accusations: the four were trying to stoke opposition to a recent agreement signed by Greece and a northern neighbor, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, ending a 27-year dispute over the latter’s name.…  Seguir leyendo »

Le médicament, ciment démocratique ? Aperçu d’un petit commerce et de quelques brèches

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Athènes offre de nombreux espaces de mixité sociale. Cette mixité ne fait bien entendu pas disparaître les hiérarchies. Un même immeuble peut ainsi reproduire assez fidèlement la pyramide des richesses. A moitié sous terre, encavés dans le relief capricieux de la ville, les « demis-sous-sols » sont nombreux, loués ou achetés par des gens qui, en dépit de leurs moyens limités, vivent au cœur de quartiers centraux, animés, et entretenus. Ces appartements ne sont pas tout à fait des caves, ils offrent comme seule vue extérieure les jambes et les pieds des passants à travers des lucarnes – des impostes, à l’intérieur – protégées par des barreaux ou des stores, la plupart du temps baissés.…  Seguir leyendo »

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There was a moment, at the height of the Greek debt crisis in July 2015, when many Athenians went to sleep expecting to wake up in a different country. One Greek academic told me he feared Greece would crash out of the euro currency overnight, that there would be no money in the banks in the morning, that there would be food shortages and then riots: “Greece is a middle-class country”, he told me. “I didn’t think we would be able to cope with the shock”. Several others told me that they had genuinely expected the arrival of a Venezuelan-style dictatorship, perhaps with tanks on the street.…  Seguir leyendo »

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« Grèce : un accord historique pour tourner la page », titrait Le Monde du 23 juin. La lecture de l’article indique pourtant que, loin d’être tournée, cette page, parmi les plus noires de ce pays qui en a pourtant connu un certain nombre, va continuer à être écrite par les mêmes protagonistes. La Grèce a été quasiment détruite par les plans d’austérité successifs que les institutions et les gouvernements européens lui ont imposés.

Cette saignée censée guérir le malade a abouti à une catastrophe économique et sociale. Depuis 2010, le PIB du pays a diminué d’un tiers, 35 % de sa population vit aujourd’hui sous le seuil de pauvreté et la baisse massive du niveau de vie s’est accompagnée d’un désastre sanitaire qui voit des pans entiers de la population privés de tout soin médical.…  Seguir leyendo »

Supporters of Greece’s far-right Golden Dawn party during a protest against Turkey in Athens last month. Credit Alkis Konstantinidis/Reuters

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In a rapidly intensifying war of words, government officials of the nominal NATO allies Greece and Turkey have been exchanging insults and threats in the past few weeks, recalling conflicts from a shared and bloody history. Relations have rarely been rosy, but the speed with which they have worsened, and the level of vitriol, have raised fears that the two heavily armed neighbors may be trash-talking their way to new conflict.

Adding to those concerns is the awareness that the two most credible mediators between the two sides — the United States and the European Union — appear to have little leverage with Turkey.…  Seguir leyendo »

Cómo la tirita de Europa garantiza la esclavitud de Grecia

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La interminable saga de la deuda pública de Grecia llegó a representar el manejo inepto por parte de la Unión Europea de su crisis inevitable en la eurozona. Ocho años después de su quiebra, la insolvencia persistente del estado griego sigue siendo un bochorno para la burocracia de Europa. Ésa parece ser la razón por la cual, después de haber declarado el fin de la crisis del euro en el resto de Europa, las autoridades parecen decididas a declarar también la victoria final en el frente griego.

El gran momento, se dijo, se producirá en agosto, cuando se decrete que Grecia volvió a ser un país europeo "normal".…  Seguir leyendo »

Protesting the use of the term Macedonia to describe the Republic of Macedonia, the small republic north of Greece’s northern province of Macedonia, in Athens this month. Credit Costas Baltas/Reuters

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Huge demonstrations in Athens and Thessaloniki recently have shaken Greece’s politics and threatened its coalition government. After years of austerity and the humiliation of depending on foreign loans, many Greeks are rejecting the idea of their country sharing the name of its northern province, Macedonia, with a small northern neighbor, the Republic of Macedonia.

This decades-long controversy has undermined the role that Greece, as a member of the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, could play in the Balkans. Even as a new government in the Republic of Macedonia’s capital, Skopje, appears keen on compromise and United Nations-mediated negotiations intensify, the issue could drive Greece’s domestic politics, as it has in the past.…  Seguir leyendo »

People protest the use of the term “Macedonia” in any settlement of a dispute between Athens and Skopje over the former Yugoslav republic’s name, in Athens on Sunday. (Dimitris Michalakis/Reuters)

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Winston Churchill is thought to have said that the Balkans have produced more history than they can consume. The saying has been repeated by practically everyone who has had reason to deal with the region, for good reason.

The issue on the table now is about the legacy of Alexander the Great, who died in Babylon some 2,300 years ago, and the right to use the term Macedonia.

For more than a quarter-century, the mere existence of the Republic of Macedonia has infuriated Greeks who claim its neighbor’s name was stolen from the Greek province that borders Macedonia to the south.…  Seguir leyendo »

Los fantasmas de Lesbos, la desgracia de Europa

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En 2015, cientos de miles de refugiados desembarcaron en las costas de las islas de Grecia. Muchos habían muerto en el mar. Hoy, se le ha hecho creer a la población internacional que la crisis de refugiados de Grecia ha amainado. En verdad, se ha convertido en un flagelo permanente que carcome el alma de Europa y fragua un problema futuro. La isla de Lesbos fue, y sigue siendo, su epicentro.

La historia de Shabbir demuestra de qué manera descarnada la realidad choca con el relato oficial de Europa. Shabbir, de 40 años, vivía con su esposa y dos hijos pequeños en una ciudad de tamaño mediano en Pakistán, donde administraba un negocio de alquiler de autos.…  Seguir leyendo »

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Mario Draghi vient de reconnaître, dans une lettre de réponse au député européen Nikolaos Chountis (Unité populaire), que les banques centrales membres de la zone euro avaient accumulé 7,8 milliards d’euros de profits grâce aux titres grecs que la Banque centrale européenne (BCE) a achetés au cours des années 2010-2012 dans le cadre du programme SMP (« Securities Markets Programme »).

A cela s’ajoutent d’autres sommes, dont n’a pas parlé le président de la BCE : les profits réalisés par ces mêmes banques centrales dans le cadre des achats dits ANFA (« Agreement on Net Financial Assets »). Il faut également ajouter les profits réalisés par les 14 pays de la zone euro qui ont octroyé un prêt bilatéral à la Grèce en 2010 à un taux d’intérêt abusif d’environ 5 %.…  Seguir leyendo »

The well-built, sanitized housing at Pipka camp illustrates how a more humane approach to providing shelter for refugees can challenge established preconceptions. Photo: Chatham House.

EuropaUnión EuropeaPolítica Inmigración

While receding from the headlines over the last two years, the human and political costs of the refugee crisis in Greece have only risen. This summer, thousands of people in Chios and Samos island encampments remain exposed to disease, violence, mental deterioration as well as searing heat. Athens is suffering from growing homelessness, abuse and trafficking problems as people’s asylum or relocation claims are rejected or they avoid registration in fear of deportation to Turkey. Charities working on the ground including Medecins sans Frontieres refer to conditions as ‘dire’ and ‘inhumane’.

Yet the humanitarian response in Greece beginning in 2015 is considered one of the most expensive in history.…  Seguir leyendo »

NGOs run a voluntary vaccination programme for young refugees in Athens. Photo via Getty Images.

EuropaUnión EuropeaPolítica Inmigración,

Approximately 62,000 asylum seekers and refugees have arrived in Greece since 2015 and are not able, or choose not to, move to another European country. While many of those now stranded in Greece intend to continue their journey to Europe, others are faced with the reality of long-term residence in the country. The Greek government and UNHCR state that they are committed to integrating asylum seekers and refugees who will be living in Greece into local society, improving self-reliance and long-term access to services and improving cohesion with the host communities.

Health services are not predominantly featured in the discussion around integration, but health and well-being are integral to new arrivals’ ability to participate in society. …  Seguir leyendo »

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El Fondo Monetario Internacional ha resucitado una vieja técnica – comúnmente utilizada en los años ochenta durante la crisis de la deuda latinoamericana – que puede permitir que Grecia evite entrar el próximo en moratoria de pago de la deuda que sostiene con acreedores europeos. El respiro también le otorga tiempo al FMI y a sus socios europeos para resolver sus diferencias técnicas sobre el crecimiento del país y las proyecciones presupuestarias. Sin embargo, el elegante compromiso del Fondo deja a Grecia bajo la sombra de una enorme deuda pendiente; la reducción de tal deuda requerirá que Europa encuentre una forma de dejar de lado la política nacional y actúe sobre la base de la lógica y necesidad económica.…  Seguir leyendo »

A forensics team inspects the car of former Prime Minister Lucas Papademos of Greece after a parcel bomb exploded in Athens last month. Credit Costas Baltas/Reuters

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Many Greeks were surprised when a mild-mannered former prime minister who tried to use unity and consensus to lead the country out of an economic and political impasse was seriously injured by a parcel bomb last month.

What followed was even worse: The attack was not greeted with unanimous condemnation, suggesting that Greece has a long way to go to heal divisions that were exacerbated by the economic crisis, that have shaped politics and that obstruct efforts to get Greece on its feet.

As Lucas Papademos, 69, lay in a hospital, members of a self-proclaimed anti-establishment movement threw pamphlets onto the hospital grounds proclaiming, “Die, Papademos, so we can celebrate.”…  Seguir leyendo »