Politics: Greece Must Go

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Politics Greece Must Go The nation is likely to leave the eurozone sooner or later. Sooner is better. By Nouriel Roubini Posted Friday, May 18, 2012, at 10:20 AM ET The Greek euro tragedy is reaching its final act: It is clear that either this year or next, Greece is highly likely to default on its debt and exit the eurozone. Postponing the exit until after the June election with a new government committed to a variant of the same failed policies (recessionary austerity and structural reforms) will not restore growth and competitiveness. Greece is stuck in a vicious cycle of insolvency, lost competitiveness, external deficits, and ever-deepening depression. The only way to stop it is to begin an orderly default and exit, coordinated and financed by the European Central Bank, the European Union, and the International Monetary Fund (the "troika"), that minimizes collateral damage to Greece and the rest of the eurozone. Greece's recent financing package, overseen by the troika, gave the country much less debt relief than it needed. But, even with significantly more public-debt relief, Greece could not return to growth without rapidly restoring competitiveness. And, without a return to growth, its debt burden will remain unsustainable. But all of the options that might restore competitiveness require real currency depreciation. The first option, a sharp weakening of the euro, is unlikely, as Germany is strong and the ECB is not aggressively easing monetary policy. A rapid reduction in unit labor costs, through structural reforms that increased productivity growth in excess of wages, is just as unlikely. It took Germany 10 years to restore its competitiveness this way; Greece cannot remain in a depression for a decade ... To continue reading, click here. Join the Fray: our reader discussion forum What did you think of this article? POST A MESSAGE | READ MESSAGES Also In Slate Lithwick: Why Does the GOP Think America's Women Can't Be Trusted? Will the Supreme Court Force PACs To Expose the Names of Their Donors? College Athletes Should Be Guaranteed Four-Year Scholarships. Anything Less Is Indentured Servitude.	Advertisement
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