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Sunday, June 21, 2015

Tsipras of Athens – a gripping drama entering its final act

The scene was set for Greece to default on its debts and perhaps tumble out of the euro. But, like all the best plays, there is more than one possible endingIn the film Shakespeare in Love, one disaster after another befalls the impresario Philip Henslowe. The London theatres are closed by the plague. The voice of the male actor playing Juliet cracks just as he is about to go on stage. Henslowe never despairs, and he insists all will turn out well. Asked how, he has a stock answer: “I don’t know, it’s a mystery.”Over the last week, those who have said a solution will be found to the Greek crisis have tended to fall back on the Henslowe explanation. Talks have broken down. Summits have come and gone. Insults have flown in all directions. The deadline for Greece to make a 30 June payment to the International Monetary Fund has edged ever closer. There has been nothing but bad news. Yet, through it all, the relative calm in the financial markets has reflected a belief that, despite everything, the drama Tsipras of Athens will have a happy ending. Related: Greece crisis: creditors aim to strike deal to include six-month rescue extension Related: Why David Cameron is an anxious spectator of the Greek drama | Andrew Rawnsley Continue reading...


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