The whole world has been aware of Greece's financial troubles for several years now, but in recent months the situation in Greece has taken a turn that makes it almost unique in modern times. Already dealing with a crippled financial structure and struggling populace, Greece has lately been subjected to massive waves of immigrants arriving by boat from Iraq, Afghanistan, and, primarily, Syria. The immigrants are arriving by the thousands, seeking asylum in Europe but in the process making the Greek financial situation even trickier. If supporting its own citizens is a problem, Greece is largely unable to cope with the added refugees in need of food and shelter.
The term "migrant crisis" has been used to describe the waves of immigrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea, not just to Greece but also Italy and other parts of Europe. Although, one recent analysis opined that the waves of migrants are really only a "crisis" because of policy failure. This opinion is justified by the fact that European Union agreed to a deal back in 2014 that allotted three billion euros by 2020 to the task of handling refugees seeking asylum. Greece, which proved to be the primary destination of such refugees just a year later, received only €259 million. That's no small number, but the burden on the country is disproportionally large, which does suggest the E.U.'s policy was inadequately constructed.
In recent weeks, this has begun to seem like a problem without a clear solution. But if there's a silver lining to Greek citizens who want better days ahead for their country, it's that the migrant crisis has seemingly given Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras a political opportunity to speak strongly on behalf of his country, and to go on the offensive against the same European countries whose austerity measures are responsible in part for Greece's economic woes.
This is the latest in a series of bizarre and dramatic moves for the PM. Folks following the Greek financial crisis may recall that as recently as August of this year, Tsipras helped to negotiate a third bailout package for Greece, though it was coupled with an eleventh austerity package that many Greeks are displeased with. Tsipras then resigned within a week of reaching this milestone, leaving power and immediately calling for snap elections in which he regained the Prime Ministership and brought about a new mandate for financial reform. Tsipras has since been laying out the groundwork for an economic revival by the end of this decade. And in the process, he's been rallying for support from foreign investors and speaking out against the very austerity measures he agreed to.
It's been a bold time to say the least. While the migrant crisis has added another burden for Tsipras to contend with, he's used it to make a moral case for his country against the rest of Europe. The Prime Minister has gone as far as to publicly call the rest of Europe hypocrites for mourning the losses of children dying in the migration process but doing nothing to help those who survive. He's also spoken out against razor wire border fences being built in some European nations by comparing them to the Berlin Wall.
But with specific regard to the Greek financial situation, Tsipras has also used the migrant crisis as an example of the harm that can be done through austerity. Frequently citing the general goodness of the Greek people in opening their homes and providing food and shelter for migrants, Tsipras has also spoken recently about the devastating social cost of austerity. The suggestion is that if Greece's European creditors helped to foster economic growth, rather than simply imposing measures to ensure repayment, the most vulnerable members of society‚including, now, droves of refugees—would be better taken care of.
At this stage, this is all rhetoric. But with the migrant situation ongoing and solutions needed, it has been interesting to see how Tsipras is handling things politically. Spinning this sort of catastrophe into a catalyst for postive financial change would be quite a maneuver indeed.
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