The situation in Greece ? - Tragic!

People have been asking what life is like for us in Greece, our situation being a topic of global media interest of late. So, this will be no political or economic analysis – just a personal response to that question. Certainly the Express newspaper did us no favour by announcing that the British government had taken steps to ensure British tourists would be pulled out in event of a crisis. Hey, we’re not in a war zone….. are we? Tourists currently here claim to be suffering no hardship whatsoever but are actually thoroughly enjoying themselves. 

Businessmen on a local radio station spoke of experiencing difficulties now in placing orders abroad since suppliers were worried about payments not going through. That got me thinking that, if things thus continue, we could see a marked change in our life style - we simply wouldn’t be able to buy many of the imported goods we now take for granted. 

 When I first came to live in Thessaloniki in the late 70s, there was no regular supply of certain imported commodities, nor was that a hardship. I remember my flat-mate hopping on a bus to a supermarket the minute the word in the ex-pat community was that a cornflakes consignment had arrived. But that example is trivial and does not reflect our current conditions - where cracks in essential services are beginning to show. 

 Our neighbor works in a clinic and I see her return from work every day looking ever more strained and haggard. She is chief administration officer in a surgical department where they are trying to cope with a   dire shortage of materials and equipment. Wannabe patients plead and grasp the staff’s hands, hoping they will be among those selected for surgery since such services cannot be offered to all. Surgeons have to face life and death issues on a daily basis as it is, but they shouldn’t be obliged to play god as well. And this describes the scene in a private hospital – we can just imagine how much worse the situation is for hospitals in the private sector!

 In the past few years, government taxation and union demands have squeezed the life out of many long-established businesses in Northern Greece or forced them to leave and set up operations in Bulgaria as the only option for survival. Now new waves of turbulence are being felt: 

• billions of euros are being transferred out of Greece on a daily basis as savers fear currency devaluation, new currency adoption or capital controls. 
• Young people are leaving the country in droves to study or work abroad 

The country is haemmorhaging its life-blood of capital and youth – how can she invest in her future? 

One night this week, the newscaster, Pavlos Tsimas, remarked that together for many evening bulletins we had all sat on the edge of our seats, waiting for deadline decisions to be announced at summit euro-meetings and,  he wryly concluded, that that evening was going to be yet another of those - where no final agreement would be reached. We are a nation which has been perched on that edge for months.  

 Some years ago I was sent to Belgrade to inspect a teacher-training course which was being set up as part of an aid program.  Serbia was then shaking itself free from a heavy winter – there was excitement about fresh greens coming onto the market - and from recent turbulent events. What impressed me was how cheery and smart everyone I saw was. The lady course leader responded to my observation saying that this had been a deliberate psychological strategy: ladies went about coiffed, in heels and make-up almost in defiance of the violence that had broken out all around. They managed to survive the horror by pretending it wasn’t happening. 

 When Syriza first came to power at the end of January, people talked a lot of politics, for the election results showed the old guard of Nea Dimokratia and Pasok were on the way out. This was heralding in change and there was optimism for the new politico on the block. Later the mood segued into questioning the outcome: there were lots of conspiracy theories around by this time and insecurity was on the rise as time passed with no action being taken. Nevertheless, people liked to reassure each other – and more than anything else - to be reassured it would all turn out all right.

 Last week a group of friends met in a tavern in the centre to share a meal together before disappearing off to different airts for the summer. While it was lovely to see everyone, one thing disturbed me: not once did the current situation arise as a topic in our conversations. It had become the elephant in the room, the embarrassment or the fearful that no one wants to broach, the taboo topic. In fact there is a need not to broach it, for you cannot sit on the edge constantly - you’re bound to lose your balance.

 We, too, have adopted the ‘it’s not happening’ tactic - even for a short while. And it’s not the ostrich-head-in-the-sand approach as we know only too well what’s happening… or what’s not happening. This too is a coping strategy in these horrendous times.

 There really is no best-case scenario – even if Tsipras and his European colleagues do reach an agreement, there will be no happy ending. It will confine us to a situation where salaries and pensions are further reduced and the cost of living soars. Already great swathes of property lie empty where businesses once thrived. For some time now people in our cities have been reduced to begging and are homeless. How is it possible that the human condition is not an issue being factored in at the negotiating table? 

 We have just got back from doing our weekly shop and have seen large queues outside ATM machines.

  People are on tenterhooks: Will the banks open on Monday? Will capital controls be set in place? 

 Why? - Because of today’s news flush : that Tsipras wants to lead us to a referendum in a weeks’ time. Suspicions are that his meetings with party officials last night showed that he could not assume his own party support on voting the measures through parliament. To avoid a mutiny he is taking it to the people. He has tried negotiating; in Europe they remain unflinchingly and punitively resolute. 

 What lies ahead, who can say? But clearly Tsipras believes it’s time to cover his assents, so to speak.