Slovakia Now Must Approve Bailout of Greece

And They Are Not Happy About it



Josef Polleross for The New York Times

Trhovisko or "Chinese Market" is the biggest

market in Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia.

(Walmart It's Not)



Slovakia (who?) is the current roadblock for Europe’s bailout (again) of Greece.  The country is the other half of Czechoslovakia which became an independent nation at some time in the past.  The country is small and poor.

 the average worker earns just 781 euro a month, or about $1,040.

but it is being asked to participate in the bailout of Greece.  Why, because under the rules the actions of Europe must be unanimous.

Needless to say the Slovaks are not happy about that, but they are a proud and decent people, and grateful to the European Union for bringing advantages to their country.  So in the end they will probably approve everything, but it may well take some special support for the country from the Europeans to get that approval through. 

After all, Slovakia, while not  rich country, is not an enormously indebted on either.  So the rationale for bailing out the weak states of Europe is somewhat lost on the populace.  And as usual, politics will play a role

The expansion of the bailout fund is in danger because the free-market Freedom and Solidarity Party, just one member of the four-party governing coalition, has held out against it. “I am not the savior of the world,” Richard Sulik, who is both the party’s leader and the speaker of Parliament, said in a recent interview here. “I was elected to defend the interests of Slovak voters.”

Some Slovaks at least can joke about the issue

Sebastian Petic, 18, a law student in Trnava who was spending a sunny afternoon on a bench in the town square with his Lenovo laptop, repeated a popular joke. “For 500 euro you can adopt a Greek. He will sleep late, drink coffee, have lunch and take a siesta,” Mr. Petic said, “so that you can work.”

Ok, not a particularly funny joke or even in all that good taste, but Greeks, if you feel insulted manage your country so you do not need continual bailouts.  That’s the right way to get respect.