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The education of Alexis Tsipras

ATHENS | March 3, 2015 | By Nick Malkoutzis via MacroPolisThere was a defining moment in the recent election campaign. It wasn’t New Democracy’s decision to go full negative by running a campaign ad that suggested Armageddon was around the corner. Nor was it To Potami’s claim that it would unveil its plan for reaching an agreement with Greece’s lenders after the elections. Instead, it came on a mild Thursday night in Omonia Square.


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Greece: A pause in uncertainty but for how long?

ATHENS | By Nick Malkoutzis via MacroPolisIs Friday’s agreement at the Eurogroup a good deal for Greece? In some respects it is but in more respects it is not. Above all, the four-month agreement leaves Greece walking an economic and political tightrope over the next four months without knowing what lies at the end of it. 


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Greek crisis: If you are going to “play the wild and crazy guy” scenario…

NEW YORK | By Peter Tchir via TrumanMuch has been made of the “Game Theory” behind the Greek Debt Negotiations. It is complex as it is not just Greece versus Germany, but other countries have a say, and then there are the purely EU level politicians, making this all very complex. I have been thinking a lot about one of the classes I took in college that had some element of “Game Theory” to it.



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“Grexit risk cut to 25%”

MADRID, February 23, 2015 | By Sean Duffy | Friday´s deal was a relief for all involved, yet it remains to be seen if a frantic weekend of number cruncing from Greek officials will meet the strict criteria outlined in the agreement. German bank Berenberg cut the chances of a Grexit to 25% from 35% on Monday.



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Schäuble and Varoufakis lurch towards an angry showdown

MADRID | By JP Marín Arrese | With the request for a six-month extension of the current bailout being flatly rebuffed by the German Finance Minister, hopes for a compromise at the Eurogroup meeting today are dwindling. Even if talks collapse, keeping Greece afloat lies almost entirely in Mario Draghi’s hands. 


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Face off

MADRID | Sean Duffy | Today´s meeting of the Eurogroup brings Finance Ministers Varoufakis and Scauble head-to-head. Germany are unimpressed with Greek proposals,meaning that the Greeks face the prospect of being cut off from extra bailout funding.


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A bridge to a bailout?

MADRID | By Sean Duffy | The Greek Government is expected to apply for a bailout extension today, but it remains to be seen on whether or not Tsipras has been flexible enough to mollify the concerns of EU politicians.


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What led to the breakdown between Athens and Brussels?

BRUSSELS | By Alexandre MatoGreek authorities again rejected  a Eurogroup statement regarding the extension of its bailout programme. Brussels wants a continuation of the second bailout, but the Syriza goverment wants a 4-month bridge with new rules to be applied. The gulf between both sides has emerged as bigger than initially thought.