Defiant Tsipras threatens to detonate European crisis rather than yield to creditor "monstrosity"
This article by Ambrose Evans Pritchard for The Telegraph may be of interest to subscribers. Here is a section:
Mr Tsipras's article is a thinly-disguised warning that Greece may choose to default on roughly €330bn of debt in the biggest sovereign default ever, and pull out of the euro, rather than breech its key red lines.
The debts are mostly to European official creditors and the European Central Bank. The situation has become critical after depositors withdrew €800m from Greek banks in two days at the end of last week, heightening fears that capital controls may be imminent.
Mr Tsipras's choice of words also implies that Greece may turn its back on the Western security system, presumably by shifting into the orbit of Russia and China.
The article comes as Panagiotis Lafanzanis, the energy minister and head of Syriza's powerful Left Platform, returns from Moscow after securing a provisional deal with Gazprom to build part of the "Turkish Stream" gas pipeline through Greece.
The EU is both an economic and political union. Much of the commentary has focused on the ramifications of Greece leaving the Euro, defaulting on its debts and refusing to engage with its creditors. On the political front, tighter relations with Europe’s geopolitical rivals represent an additional consideration since Greece is also a member of NATO.
This article from GlobalSecurity.org highlights how Turkey controls the Bosporus, Sea of Marmara and the Dardanelles but ships exiting the strait from the Black Sea transit through both Turkish and Greek territory in the Aegean. Increasingly friendly relations between a tactically important NATO member and Russia will be a cause for concern. It is therefore open to question whether Europe’s geopolitical interests will trump economic considerations during continued tense negotiations with Greece.
In the short-term Italian, Spanish and Portuguese yields have all rallied to break medium-term progressions of lower rally highs and firmed additionally today to push above their respective 200-day MAs. Clear downward dynamics will be required to signal a return to demand dominance.
Having found support in the region of 10% early last month Greek yields continue to hold a short-term progression of higher reaction lows.