Selection: Michalis Katsigeras

PANAYIOTIS PIPINELLIS: From an editorial in Kathimerini titled “European Community and National Sovereignty:” “(...) The countries (of the Atlantic Alliance) which belong to the ‘balanced collective forces’ in the various allied commands will be involved in a war long before their sovereign governments decide there is any reason to defend themselves with arms. Until now, setting up joint commands was done at the outbreak of hostilities. Today, joint commands are set up to avert war. People have not yet realized to what extent this will alter international life. (...) One could say that things have progressed to such an extent in recent months that the national sovereignty of the smaller of the allied nations only applies to issues of a purely domestic nature (...). When and how will there be an end to this? (...) What is needed here (...) is a clear dividing line (...). However, if this line is not to be crossed, the sympathy of one’s allies and a respect for sensitivity is not enough. A deeper, comprehensive awareness on the part of those same smaller allies is needed, and that feeling is national dignity, which casts aside all dangerous ‘realism’ around the ‘allied factor’ with which lowly personal or party goals are usually justified.”