OPINION

Country at a standstill

The timing of Tuesday’s disagreement between Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos and Deputy Labor Minister Tasos Petropoulos over whether the leftist government plans to pay a one-off benefit to public sector workers and pensioners in the form of an Easter bonus was not incidental.

Rather, it came at a tricky moment in the country’s post-bailout monitoring phase as Greece’s partners have been warning that Athens is falling behind on reforms.

However, the SYRIZA administration seems to be obsessing about other stuff – namely when and how it will disburse some 650 million euros in pre-election handouts.

It appears once again that the government’s sole preoccupation is SYRIZA’s election campaign. As a result, the country is at a standstill. The longer it lasts, the more it will cost.

Subscribe to our Newsletters

Enter your information below to receive our weekly newsletters with the latest insights, opinion pieces and current events straight to your inbox.

By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.