It’s not all about us
Wednesday’s vote at the German Parliament on a third international bailout for Greece is a stark reminder for those here who readily distinguish between “good” and “evil” partners that European leaders are obliged to defend their own national interests, have to consider their own parliamentary assemblies, and must take into account the opinion of their own people.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has more reasons than Greece’s leftist Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras to be concerned about the outcome of the German vote in light of popular opposition to the Greek rescue deal.
Other European leaders are faced with similar skepticism. It is a major fallacy to think that others are there to simply act on Greece’s demands.