Brussels on Greece

As the Euro crisis metastizes to Spain, Italy and elsewhere, European institutions are busy to try to keep the most stricken patient, Greece, alive. The European Commission has set up a high-powered task force “to identify and coordinate the technical assistance that Greece needs to deliver the EU/IMF adjustment programme and accelerate the absorption of EU funds.”

When Brussels has to set up new units in a hurry, space is at a premium. The roomy offices of twenty years ago have long been divided up, or had more desks crammed into them. So the task force must have been pleased that it even managed to secure its very own meeting room, albeit in the basement of the building housing the directorate for social affairs and employment. The room’s location is looking increasingly prophetic.

Photograph courtesy of the author