Greece loses EU voting power in blow to sovereignty

London Daily Telegraph, U.K. ^ | Tuesday February 16, 2010 | Ambrose Evans-Pritchard

[jpl]

The council of EU finance ministers said Athens must comply with austerity demands by March 16 or lose control over its own tax and spend policies altogether. It if fails to do so, the EU will itself impose cuts under the draconian Article 126.9 of the Lisbon Treaty in what would amount to economic suzerainty.

[GOPsterinMA]

What about Italy?

[the invisib1e hand]

As a casual observer, it seems Europe is run like a family with the Germans playing the whipped husband continuously writing the checks for the wife, France, and the wife passing along some of the money to the kids, PIGS.

Very casual. And very ignorant of history.

There was a time when the husband went psychotic and tried to kill the whole family.

[Republic of Texas]

Totalitarianism isn’t so fun now is it Greece?

[the invisib1e hand]

What about Italy?

They'll be fine once they take those Crucifixes off their walls.

[C19fan]

I am talking about post-World War history.

[eleni121]

Yeah Soros is a poisonous piece of work. Most Balkan Christians despise him.

[madinmadtown]

I believe that Soros is an Esperanto name that his parents adopted. Interesting that Turkey has been flirting with the EU and Greece finds itself in such trouble.

[longtermmemmory]

not to mention they have lived up to their overflight treaties without trying to extort more money.

part of the problem is the infestation of communists that FDR allowed to inhabit Greece as part of the post wwii planing.

[ConservativeMind]

You forgot the 1990s with the Serb-Croat war they didn’t fight.

[Joe Boucher]

So maybe Greece can cozy up to Turkey and together they can join up with the moosies.
WHAT, Cyprus?

[Vaquero]

“...Economic suzerainty.”

Like THAT’s gonna go down real well....

oh the Greeks will just have to bend over and take it.....

.....oh wait....they like that.....problem solved.

[avacado]

"The EU is evil. Leave now, Greece."

Agreed!

[Tzimisce]

....so what do you think of your big government Socialism now Greece? :D

[GOPsterinMA]

Right - that’s the ticket.

[the invisib1e hand]

It has been observed (to much poo-pooing and jeering) that the derisively-named "PIIGS" might in fact be the most Christian nations in the unholy alliance.

The typical repsonse was about how "conservative" and "fiscally responsible" Germany is.

[Ben Mugged]

Kick their broke no Drachma-having asses out of the EU.

Now that I agree with!

[buwaya]

No comparison.

Italians are personally friendly in general, and whatever their politics are unlikely to apply them personally.

Way too many Greeks are the other way.

[colorado tanker]

Regrettably, we have had to declare a protectorate over Greece.

[InterceptPoint]

This was easily predicted. In fact I did so myself a couple of days ago.

The choice for the EU countries was either to continue to pour good money after bad down the Greek rat hole or assume fiscal control of the Greek government. I called the later a "fiscal invasion" of Greece. I still think that fits. This article uses the term suzerainty. That's a new one for me and I assume most Freepers but if Wikipedia has heard of it then it must be a real word.

[ClayinVA]

Just don’t see the Greeks going for this, how long have they been fighting the Turks again?