Yannick Wheels: Machiavellian plan Schauble against Greece

To survive in the 21st century, the common currency must be solidarity tool whatever conditions and not exclusion means in the hands of the powerful of the Eurogroup, says MEP Yannick wheels article in Liberation newspaper.

The new embarrassing episode in which mixed the Eurogroup on 14 December revived tension around Greece. After the country surpassed this year the objectives set by the creditors as regards the budget surplus, the Alexis Tsipras government decided to give a little oxygen to the Greeks who have been hardest hit by the austerity with a Christmas bonus for the poorest pensioners and postponing the VAT increase on the islands of the Aegean affected by the refugee crisis. In response, the Eurogroup froze weak short-term measures to alleviate the Greek debt.

Hard not to see the hand of Wolfgang Schäuble, the powerful Finance Minister Angela Merkel. Here it seems that continues the Machiavellian plan: to push Greece and southern European countries outside the eurozone. As the exclusion of a country from the zone, hoping no doubt that the political suffocation of Tsipras government will not be able to make the choice of joining the euro so unbearable for Greeks to ask ourselves to leave.

However, Alexis Tsipras and the Greek people have shown since the summer of 2015 whether it is committed to the euro and that is ready for many sacrifices to keep the common currency. And it is no exaggeration to say that poverty has exploded, the health system agonizing, unemployment reaches one quarter of the population and about half of young people, while refugees continue to arrive ...

many sacrifices

So it was perfectly legitimate to take advantage of the good budgetary performance to reduce the pressure and sent a signal to the poorest. The popularity of Alexis Tsipras gets low and these disturbances can have serious political consequences: the members of the Eurogroup can not ignore this box and their decision is inexcusable.

To break this vicious circle and prevent the whims of some to be the destruction of Europe, it is necessary to assert a fundamental principle: the right to the euro. The citizens of each Member State of the euro area should have a guarantee that the euro will continue as their currency regardless of the circumstances. No hostages must be the strongest in what concerns an important component of economic and social life.

The fact that this right should be linked with obligations, by taking measures to prevent a Member behave as illegal passenger on the common currency is of course legitimate.

But by making the access to the single currency in birthright, will enable European citizens to challenge the decisions of the powerful Eurogroup and opened an area of ​​democracy from a substantial anti-power. An anti-power of a parliament of the euro zone would be able to ensure and fulfill. To survive in the 21st century, the single currency should be an instrument of solidarity: the euro must be strengthened through democracy and stop growing against it.

The wheels are Yannick MEP candidate of the Green Party in the presidential elections in France

Source: Liberation