Business in Greece is not yet booming, but it is definitely being heavily boosted. The reason why it took so endlessly long until our country was able to take the elevator upwards, is shortly discussed here, because we will talk about what the boosting implies. What Turkey’s view on all this is and how it reacts.
I have never had so much confidence in any government as I now have in the economic development the Greek New Democracy government is creating. The reason why Greece fell into such a deep pit economically is simply because the country joined the EEC in 1989. New member states that aren’t as rich as the few western countries that dominate the EEC – France, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark and so – are forced to get immersed in a multi billion debt in order to develop their country. Schools must be built and improved overnight, just like hospitals, highways and such. Otherwise Europe doesn’t even want to look at the country. Problem here is that the new member state can’t pay back the enormous debt in a reasonable term, because even if it is now a member of the Great Europe, its fellow countries aren’t prepared to do business with it. How can they grow their economy if they are isolated from doing business with non European countries and Europe despises them? This doesn’t only happen to Greece, but to all southern and eastern European countries. None of them has been able to get out of the initial investments and that is a bad sign for the European Union’s credibility.
You see that e.g. Italy, one of the first members even before the EEC, still struggles like heck to stabilise its economy. Let me mention a very important factor in this. The richer countries always have very leftist governments and they can afford that, having built up their economy long before joining Europe. But a poorer country needs a right-wing government that is keen on the coin if they want to grow and stand on their own feet. This is not accepted within the EU, that exercises an evergrowing influence over its member states. Just take one fast look at Hungary and Italy to see what I mean. They are on the brink of being banned from the EU on a daily basis, only because they want to get out of debts and in order to get that done, they first take care of their own national interests before spending again and again more taxpayers’ money on things that will stagnate their economy. Like taking up even more immigrants, developing sustainable energy and being busy letting transgenders read questionable books to school kids.
Close scrutiny
I find it almost funny to see how the unchosen European Commission Chair Ursula von der Leyen is keeping the new and very capable Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni under close scrutiny. With every step she takes, the EU top is watching and criticising her. Ooh, will Meloni take a stand against Russia? Ooh, will her government invest enough billions in sustainable energy? Italy can’t afford to give away weapons to Ukraine or to invest in windmills, but the EU demands that it still does, even if it costs Italy its economy. Who cares about the economy? It’s all about the Green Deal, dictates the EU policy.
The newest issue they found on Meloni is that Italy joined the Chinese club of the BRI or Belt and Road Initiative in 2019. It is an awesome idea in which China has win-win solutions to other countries: they built up their country, while the country itself gets more and more space to develop its economy. Currently they are helping Saudi Arabia to have other sources of income than only oil and in Iraq they are rebuilding the whole country. This creates very good business opportunities and China isn’t like Europe or the United States that only help if they can exercise power. Like meddling in their elections and suing their government if it doesn’t agree anymore with a project that is being executed by an American company. China just wants all countries to be well, so that everyone profits. But …
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the EU wants their members to exclusively do business with their own members and with other western countries. Problem here is that these countries don’t have the development of the new member states in mind, but merely their own interests. The EU now demands that the Italian government immediately cuts its ties with the BRI. Its plans for Italy have already been frozen since almost the beginning by former Prime Minister Berlusconi, but it would be a great opportunity for Italy to finally grow its economy and stop the corruption. We follow the news to see what the Italian government will do! Will they dare to stand up against the mighty Brussels and tell the EU to stop mingling in their affairs?
Greece works hard in silence
Back to Greece! This very smart country has great plans to boost its economy, now that it doesn’t have the “junk” status anymore (because of the extremely high state debt). Both Greek and international businesses are allowed again to invest in the country. The port in Piraeus will be equipped with new ship building companies, while Thessaloniki will in 2024 have the most modern subway there is in the world. Greece furthermore keeps on working on more Greek and less foreign mass tourism. This kind of tourism is most of the time much too cheap and Greece loses income. Greek tourists spend much more during their holidays and so that is what our country is focussing on. Without shouting it around, it just silently works on its change for the better.
This is the enormous strength of Greece: its silence. No-one is interested in the country, because it is still in the middle of a difficult economic situation. European businesses aren’t eager to invest in Greece and so Brussels’ eyes aren’t targeting Athens. The Greek government can work on its boosting job in relative peace without a constantly picking European Union. Of course the other reason why the EU lets Greece go its way is the fact that the country is busy developing sustainable energy, which is an unshakable demand to all member states. So what is Greece doing except the plans already mentioned?
The Greek gas!
Well, Greece has found a few sources of gas and also oil in the Aegean Sea. This is a great luck, since the country heavily depends on gas for creating electricity. The percentage of 67% is already declining, Greece has both sun and wind, so why not exploit it? Solar energy makes out 7% of the power – which is currently growing – and 12% is created by hydroelectric power plants. Gas is a problem for EU member states, because it most of the time comes from Russia. And Russia is oh-so banned. Greece has contracts with Algeria and Norway as well, but 40% of its gas is still Russian. That is soon going to change, since gas has been found in the Greek sea and it is going to be exploited. I heard Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis say his government has talks with a few exploiting companies. This gas would probably be sufficient for Greek needs and maybe even for export.
In the meantime in Ankara …
President Erdoǵan is looking at Greece with jealous eyes and he is furious that Turkey does occupy 2/3 of Greek territory (Asia Minor), but that he can’t also drill for gas in its seas. Turkey has a gas problem, since the EU and NATO are forcing it to stop receiving it from Russia. The country doesn’t have natural gas itself and the sea where the gas is – southwest off Crete – is Greek territory. The Turkish government tried drilling in secret, but got busted both by Greece and by Libya. Then the Turkish army attacked Greece with F16’s last summer, but again lost the war. Now Erdoǵan is trying to persuade the EU and NATO that Turkey must and shall drill for gas in the Greek seas. He is also trying to create bonds with other Turkic states like Kazakhstan, which has some gas as well, but that doesn’t happen overnight and the cost is also higher than that of Russian gas. Plus Turkey loses all European credit while going eastward.
Just buying gas from Greece, as would be the normal reaction in this case, is not an option for Turkey. The country, known for its negative attitude, is prepared to wage war for gas with Greece to own its gas reserves, although the country has already seen it is not a match for the Greek army. That may be smaller and less sophisticated, but it has better strategies plus Greece stands in its right in this issue. That is why France immediately came to help when the Turkish army attacked Greece. If Kemal Kiliçdaroglu might become the President in two weeks, this attitude won’t change, nor will Turkey finally work on its economy. Its government only wants as much power as possible over its population and isn’t interested in developing their country.
The Turks took all the land of both Kurds and Greeks, but Greece owns the seas. Turkey can’t have everything and if it wants gas, it can start negotiations with the Greek government to buy it like everybody else does. And if it also wants economic development like Greece, their government can ask the Greeks to teach them how to get that done instead of being jealous and mad and trying to smear and attack Greece. Such a shift in behaviour would be the greatest miracle possible and would benefit hundreds of millions of people.
