The enhanced surveillance of Greece by the European Commission has “saved the country and the euro zone. But twelve years later”the country is “completely bloodless socially”, said this Saturday August 21 on franceinfo Patrick Martin-Genier, teacher at Sciences Po and specialist in Europe. The European supervision, put in place for Greece following the economic crisis of 2010, was officially lifted on Saturday.
franceinfo: Is Greece emerging with its head held high from this surveillance by the European Commission?
Patrick Martin-Genier: No. This plan has certainly saved Greece and the euro zone, but twelve years later, we have a country completely bloodless on the social level. Pensions have decreased considerably, thousands of young people have left the country, the minimum wage does not even reach 750 euros… It is truly a social disaster. And the debt is still high.
How are public services doing?
They are in exactly the same situation: 20,000 doctors have left, certain administrations have closed, civil servants have been dismissed, certain hospitals have closed… And we have not completely eliminated corruption. So unfortunately to have an operation or to give birth, you sometimes have to wait or pay bribes. This is what Greece is today: a system D which has to face up to the economic and social consequences of the crisis.
Despite everything, growth should be 4% this year in Greece, above the European average. How is this explained?
This is explained by the fact that Greece remains a tourist country, and that this represents considerable revenue for the country. It will also benefit from more than 30 billion euros from the recovery fund of the European Union, which will allow investments in infrastructure, equipment, digital… So in everything that can be synonymous with growth.
Did this tutorship arouse anti-European sentiment among the Greek population?
The Greeks have shown resilience, that is to say, they are grateful to the European Union for having saved them, in particular through investments in the tourist industries, through aid provided following Covid-19. Europe is present, it has been united, and I don’t think there is an anti-European feeling in Greece.