Now is the time for firm German leadership on the Greek crisisThis is a moment that demands both clear thinking and swift action by European leaders, qualities not so often displayed in a union usually characterised by ambiguity, complexity and delay. Those are necessary lubricants in everyday Europe, a collective that always has to live with contradictions and differences. But Europe after Greece is not everyday Europe. It is a union perilously close to a disaster that, while certainly not terminal, could be very damaging indeed.Simply put, those leaders, above all Chancellor Angela Merkel, have to decide whether they want to keep Greece in, or whether they will let that unhappy country slip away. If Greece leaves the euro, there is no guarantee that it won’t leave the EU altogether. After the referendum these are no longer speculative possibilities, lying somewhere beyond the latest deadline for this or that repayment. They are here now, right in Europe’s face, needing resolution within a matter of days or, at the very most, weeks. Measures of immediate economic support, putting the Greek economy on hold until then, are probably needed within hours.Europe desperately needs her to transcend her nature, to rise to the occasion and to take decisive charge of the crisis Continue reading...
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