The scale of Greece's endemic and systemic problems are made clear in this article from today's Telegraph. See
here. I know the Telegraph bats for the right, but I wouldn't like to be trying to fix all the problems they identify anytime soon.
Partial quote follows on just the problems with the rail system, unions ...mother of God, rather them than us.
"Winding its way along the
Greek coastline, the picturesque train trip is nonetheless a tough one: plagued by delays, it takes six hours to cover just 110 miles, twice as long as by car. Apart from the odd tourist with a lot of time to spare, the only contented
faces on board are generally those of the unionised train drivers, who take home up to 70,000 euros a year after innumerable bonus schemes are factored in – ten times what the average Greek earns.
It is, however, on such moribund pieces of state infrastructure as these that Greece’s hopes of salvation – and, ultimately, those of the Eurozone itself – are now riding. For as part of the new austerity programme finally passed by parliament last week, the loss-making Hellenic Railways Network, along with dozens of other enterprises ranging from casinos to gold mines and power stations to ports, is to be offered for privatisation. In will come up to 50 billion of the 320 billion Greece currently owes the rest of the world, and out will go the power base of the country’s overpaid, underworked public sector, whose militant unions are seen as one of the main political obstacles to reform.
However, rather like Hellenic Railways timetables, there are predictions on paper and reality on the ground. True,
given that the network typically loses nearly 1 billion a year – a staggering five per cent of Greek GDP in all – unloading the entire network into private hands is an obvious money saver. Any would-be investor, though, will face war from Athnasios Leventis, president of PanHellenic Federation of Railwaymen..."