Het spel is op de wagen.
Maria Damanaki, the European Commissioner for fisheries, and who was appointed by Greece's ruling socialists, said her country faces having to exit the currency unless warring parties can agree to makes the sacrifices needed to resolve its debt crisis. The Greek government strongly denied previous rumours that Athens was considering leaving the eurozone, but Ms Damanaki said the situation's gravity had forced her to "speak openly" about the dilemma facing her country.
"The greatest achievement of post-war Greece, [joining] the euro and the European course of the country, is at risk," Ms Damanaki said. "The scenario of Greece's exit from the euro is now on the table, as are ways to do this. Either we agree with our creditors on a programme of tough sacrifices and results ... or we return to the drachma. Everything else is of secondary importance."
Ik weet het, het is maar een onderhandelingstruc om de dwarsliggende oppositie en protesterende bevolking van de ernst van de situatie te doordringen, maar toch. Met deze uitspraak wordt Damanaki de eerste Europese functionaris van enig niveau die openlijk over een Grieks exit uit de eurozone durft te speculeren. Vanaf nu mag het dus, praten over een euro zonder Athene. Geert Wilders, kom er maar in...