Is it money or reforms they are after?

Yanis Varoufakis's latest article states that the Greek government should only cut about 2.5 billion euros, which is the nation's primary deficit at the moment, and then renegotiate the loan agreement with the Troika. Although it does sound like a good idea in theory, I am afraid that the only way to achieve what he proposes would be for the Greek government to exercise tremendous political on the ECB or the IMF.

In short, what Yanis proposes is for the Greeks to cut 2.5 billion, receive 31 billion and then renegotiate the loan agreement. Yet I am under the impression that if the "old-heads" of the IMF won't see the measures they have proposed, passed through the Parliament, they will not allow for the 31 billion tranche to reach Greece. As the stupidity that the EFSF-ESM will not directly recapitalize Greek banks remains then I am afraid that all Greece, Spain and Cyprus are doomed to forever move in a recessionary spiral.

Norwegian chocolate bar Troika. Too bad their measures are bitter. Source: Wikimedia Commons

It is impossible to understand why the Germans and many other Northerners are opposing the idea of a direct aid to the EU banks. If that was to occur, then the EU nations which opted for a bail-out would only have to receive half of the aid they are currently receiving, if not even less. And for those who do not remember, most (if not all) of the EU banks are facing troubles due to the decision to haircut the Greek bonds held by the private sector by essentially 79% (30% plus 70% on the remaining) and the equally irrational decision to raise Core Tier 1 capital adequacy ratios by 1% in the midst of the crisis. 

For those who fear that the "German taxpayer" would have to pay for bank recapitalization, I need not remind you that the ECB can just guarantee the adequacy of the EU banks, without spending a cent, forcing the banks to come up with the money in a number of years and not now. Nevertheless a money injection in the ailing banks could be good for the economy as a whole. And if you consider this to be greatly risky for taxpayer I repeat: money does not have to be spent to make the Union's wheels turning.

While Yanis's proposal is great in theory, I am afraid that the only way around the austerity measures proposed would be to pass them through the Parliament, receive the 31 billion and then annul some of them. This however, would not make the Greeks more credible, nevertheless it would make it more possible for them to get through 2013 without another severe recession. As a Kathimerini article states today, some fear that the recession will be closer to 9% than 4.5% in 2013.

What worries me more is that while the country is at the brink of disaster, the Troika or the EU does not seem to understand the effects the undertaken measures will have on the ordinary people. In the previous article I have stated that the measures affect the low- and medium-income families much more than the higher income ones. Given that the latter have much more elastic demand it is more than obvious that when their income is reduced, their consumption is reduced by a large factor. (the formal term is propensity to consume)

Thus, although eliminating the primary deficit and renegotiating the loan agreement would be a good idea, it would be nearly impossible, given the state of mind of the Troika and the EU officials. What we need is rational measures, implemented on a long time-frame, with structural reforms and mentality changes. Yet, all we see is spending cuts. What are the Troika objectives is really beyond me.