Greece

I assume that one of the others sitting with Angela was Hollande.
Angela is the unelected president of Europe and Hollonde is her lap dog.

Found this.
Sort of says what I am trying to say.

www.msn.com/en-gb/money/greek-crisis/greece%e2%80%99s-brutal-creditors-have-demolished-the-eurozone-project/ar-AAcU71c?ocid=mailsignoutmd

We had a holiday in Greece soon after they took on the euro [not sure if that's the right term; don't inderstand finance at all] and it was chaotic even then. Prices appeared to have doubled overnight and it seemed to be the people on the street and the small shopkeepers that were struggling with it. It made us determined that Britain should keep it's own currency. We wondered at the time if a lot of people were making a lot of money out of it. And it still seems wrong that Germany should have had no debt whatsoever after WWII but are now controlling everything.

whitewave - because Germany and France are owed the most by the Greeks?

Elegran - depending on whitewave's answer, but there are about 26 countries in the EU , so 3 from different countries on a rolling random basis.

Who would you have sitting opposite the three Greeks then, STB?

Sorry try again!

Because they are - charge I mean

Becausec

You cant just leave it at that!

I was very struck by a picture where Angela Merkel and 3 others were sitting opposite the 3 people presumably from Greece.

Why was Germany appearing to be in charge?

No

Are true European colours of weathier countries ruling or controlling others, emerging?

The Greek Government seem to have gone for austerity, when it's people voted no.
I wonder what the people will do now. I dont think that they are going to accept quietly. I think that they will rebel against their Government.

Greece can never pay the debt however much austerity is applied to the population. Perversly the more that is applied the less ability there will be by the country to grow their economy and so repay the money owing.

The EU must bite the bullet and recognise this. Of course they must sell this to voters particularly in Finland and Germany, but I would not have thought that impossible.

Watched Question time and most of them thought the bankers were to blame-surprise surprise!!

There is indeed!

whelm /wɛlm/ archaic

verb - past tense: whelmed; past participle: whelmed

engulf, submerge, or bury.
"a swimmer whelmed in a raging storm"

•well up or flow.
"the brook whelmed up from its source"

If there's 'underwhelmed' and 'overwhelmed' there must also be a 'whelmed' .

If there wasn't such a word Anya there is now and I shall add it to my vocab. I rather like 'underwhelmed' as well and am not sure if that is an official word or not but often describes how I feel about things others think are wonderful.

You are right Tricia, about the EU ( creation of) . It was just a mistake, by all I have read, to admit Greece when it did, as the country was in no way ready.Their own leaders lied about the finances, as they were keen to enter the EU, buy perhaps it was known that they were lying anyway.

Kempt ...

Is there such a word as kemp?

just asking

Do you mean Robert Peston? Good description. I was wondering why he looked so unkempt.

Him with the hair on the telly said this morning that the daily amount people can draw out from the hole-in-the-wall dispensers could well drop to 20 euros.

Centre and Northern European countries are more industrialised than the Southern ones, such as Greece Italy Spain and Portugal. So produce more wealth.
And I don't think the creation of the EU was for philanthropic purposes. As far as I remember it was to try to avoid a repetition of WW2, and to make trade easier among member coutries

Eloethan please could you explain whether "when over 90% was being used to bail out European financial institutions." is the same as repaying debts/paying interest on debts? It does seem either very emotive language or rather silly of Greece to be 'bailing out' bankers.

It all sounds to me as if it is very long standing, possibly longer than the 2008 crisis but I don't understand how other countries have come through and grown since then but Greece hasn't. What did they/we do differently and what can be learned from it?

Whatever the disagreements I find it incredible that they went to the meeting yesterday with no plan. What did they expect to get out of it?

Thanks Eloethan, whilst I accept it isn't helpful to compare family borrowing with that of countries, what's happened with Greece does compare with what happens when pay day loans (for example) are used to pay off earlier, pay day loans. The lenders share responsibility.

The pharmacies are running out of medicines and aren't being paid either. If we europeans can't help each other, what hope for the world? The Greek's let Germany's debt go in 1953, so that Germany could re-build itself after the war. Is it too much to ask that similar generosity of spirit could be shown now.

Thank you .Eloethan that's the first article I've read that put the percentages clearly and precisely.