PAPANDREOU’S DARKEST HOUR

In principle, if Greece is becoming ungovernable, Papandreou is right, though it depends what he wants. If he is not arguing against the bailout and the cutbacks, but seeking a country mandate, is that not exactly what might release the tension and restore a country to some kind of democratic responsibility? Of course, if Greece voted NO, then it would plunge the Euro into a crisis deeper than this immediate market response, but then many argue Greece cannot afford to stay inside the Euro anyway. As protestors in London, New York and around the world argue the system is broken, or has deep systemic flaws, you can hardly inist that Papandreou is the simple villain. But we like easy scapegoats and now he has to survive a No Confidence motion too. If his vision is to take Greece towards the deal, but with a whole country really waking up to the responsibility of that, and the austerity too, then he has to stand his ground and make Europe democratic beyond the power of supranational deals and market makers who seem to show little responsibility to wider society.