SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras believes he can call the eurozone's bluff and renegotiate Greece's...

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Ray Lopez Comments (1366)
 
Too much at stake to allow Greece to bail out now, since voters have not yet fully set up their hedges. If and when they do, public opinion will change.
13 May 2012, 03:25 AM Reply Like

kmi Comments (3847)
 
Actually, Greece no longer can call the shots.

Up until the so called bailout, Greece could have taken its ball and walked, and everyopne was very careful not to piss it off.

Now that the 'bailout' is a done deal, the strength has effectively switched to the Troika's side. Any attempt to extricate itself from the EU will be far more painful than any attempt to remain in it, both parties are pretty well aware of that.

So now, EVERYONE is calling for a Greek exit precisely because they know such an exit is an absolute impossibility.
14 May 2012, 10:18 AM Reply Like

Cliff Wachtel Comments (1602)
 
As I noted in my recent post, ECB CANNOT let allow precedent of walking away from signed deals unscathed - too many others could do same. ECB can get tough when it must - ask former Italian PM Berlusconi
see the weekly preview article for details: 10 Must Watch Events This Week, 4 Ideas To Consider
13 May 2012, 05:26 AM Reply Like

winningtrader Comments (2380)
 
Looks like Greece will be out of the EUR before long. Unless, the rest of Europe is willing to adopt them and just pay all their bills while the Greeks refuse to do any work.
13 May 2012, 06:08 AM Reply Like

SA Editor Stephen Alpher Comments (495)
 
There is no cash flowing to Athens. The Troika dispenses bailout funds to a segregated account, i.e. Athens has no control over it. The monies are almost immediately turned around and given back to mostly the Troika as payment on debt.

The €4B in "bailout" funds being released this weak are almost entirely to cover a payment due the ECB 3 days later.

Greece is running a primary budget surplus - the money it is borrowing now is being used to finance borrowing. Were the country to walk away from the euro and its debts, the government - even with a disappearing economy - would find itself in surplus. This isn't to say such a move would be painless. It surely wouldn't.
13 May 2012, 07:26 AM Reply Like

wenlock00 Comments (45)
 
FT is saying "Papoulias unlikely to broker deal, say analysts". Other reports also suggest the meeting with the Greek President did not go very well.The outcome looks bleak. Mr Papandreou's rejected proposal of holding a referendum on the Euro (a while back) is now starting to look like a good idea, as 70% of Greeks want to stay in the Euro, and it would have unified the people and the politicians. It is all looking a bit too late now for a positive outcome. The Politicians in Greece have really let the people down. The American congress and other country politicians should take heed and learn from the mistakes of Greece.
13 May 2012, 07:55 AM Reply Like

phxcrane Comments (320)
 
I say we give them Ca and IL and we take Greece and Spain. LOL
13 May 2012, 08:23 PM Reply Like