Greeks view the political behaviour of Germans as a ruthless idiosyncrasy. Well, guess what, Germans tend to view Greeks in a bizarre way too; it gets worse due to their true admiration of Greeks’ ancient ancestors and their firm belief that we do not deserve the legacy. Why’s that? Simply because EU partners see Greeks sitting on multi-billion rescue packages, trying to protect a system of inefficiency, corruption and political clientelism (stupidity).

This is perhaps why, although they know that an upgrade of local troika and EU teams’ authority and the establishment of a foreign commissioner to look over local affairs would bring social disorder, they spin the hypothesis in the news, hoping that a stick and carrot approach would do the trick; the carrot is that the Greeks are left alone to deal with their affairs.

This approach seems quite common and is used to mobilise 'indigenous rebels' to put their affairs in order, like the latest piece of information that came out, according to which the troika team has put forward the unreal demand for the abolishment of citizens’ tax debt settlement processes.

Yesterday’s non-paper - German style - ‘leaked’ to local media by our lenders argues: “Greece has to legally commit itself to giving absolute priority to future debt service... State revenues are to be used first and foremost for debt service, only any remaining revenue may be used to finance primary expenditure…” Moreover, they argue, “a budget commissioner has to be appointed by the Eurogroup with the task of ensuring budgetary control. He [!] must have the power a) to implement a centralized reporting and surveillance system covering all major blocks of expenditure in the Greek budget, b) to veto decisions not in line with the budgetary targets set by the Troika and c) will be tasked to ensure compliance with the above mentioned rule to prioritize debt service…”

This is the stick; the carrot is not visible; however, it could be potentially priceless: ie, Greeks to act alone, escaping foreign control. We would love that. History and collective egos furnish all necessary elements to make us appear heroes against our inner self.

It is time Greeks and their politicians to dress up to the occasion. We had enough of everything: economic insecurity, dizzy ups-and-downs in national sentiment, politicians acting as little people and EU people giving the eye to locals who remain engaged in the effort to protect long standing distortions and anomalies.

This is politics at its worst from both sides, the Germans and Greeks. Hopefully, the commissioner’s idea will prove to be just a stick and carrot approach to the rebels who need to ‘man up’ for the occasion and not a sick plan to occupy a Mediterranean land of opportunity. This could end really badly.

Surviving the politics of shame requires two things: first, Eurozone partners should be tangibly reassured about Greece’s intentions as regards cleaning up house, second, politicians should exhibit a behaviour that puts national interest first, above all petty politics and personal aspirations. Those who cannot act on it, they can go home. When MPs voted an amendment to the law that allowed them to keep their private practice alongside Parliament duty, they knew that old times were up. Well, they were right.

Dr. Demetris Kamaras is the editor of dailyGreece.net.