Hilarante Varoufakis

Yania Varoufakis, ministro griego de economía, súper crack mundial del mundo, ha propuesto, en la carta al Eurogrupo, contratar a estudiantes, turistas, etc, para que espíen (con material proporcionado por el gobierno) a los posibles evasores fiscales del IVA.

" In a letter to eurozone authorities, the cash-strapped Greek government suggested that Athens could fight widespread value added tax evasion by wiring "non-professional inspectors" with audio and video equipment to track down lawbreakers.

In addition to students and housekeepers, Yanis Varoufakis, the Greek finance minister, suggested that "even tourists in popular areas ripe with tax evasion could be part of the scheme. They could be paid an hourly rate "on a strictly short-term, casual basis" for no more than two months."

The very ‘news’ that thousands of casual ‘onlookers’ are everywhere, bearing audio and video recording equipment on behalf of the tax authorities, has the capacity to shift attitudes very quickly," wrote Mr Varoufakis in the 11-page letter, sent on Thursday to Jeroen Dijsselbloem, the eurozone’s chief negotiator, and obtained by the Financial Times.

The letter was sent ahead of Monday’s meeting of eurozone finance ministers and includes more traditional economic reforms, such as an independent "fiscal council" to monitor the government’s spending and plans for collecting unpaid taxes.

¿Como puede proponer eso alguien que tiene en sus manos el destino (sombrío) de su país, que depende de que le llegue dinero del Eurogrupo, si no quiere literalmente quebrar en un par de semanas? ¿Cómo puede dar esa imagen de país caótico, sin estado? Qué raro, se han reído a mandíbula batiente en el Eurogrupo...

But the reaction from eurozone officials to the undercover tourist plan — one said staff laughed out loud when they read the proposal — is the latest evidence of the growing gap between the Greek government and its international bailout lenders, at a time when Athens could be less than two weeks away from running out of cash completely."It’s quite hilarious, if it were not so tragic, that this is what a government in an industrialised country comes up with," said one eurozone official involved in the talks.

Si fuera griego desertaría ya.

Algunos comentarios a la noticia en el FT:

- "Setting up (and "wiring") students, housekeepers and even tourists to serve as undercover tax inspectors"? Really? Lessons learned from the Stasi, I guess.

- It's not at all like the Stasi. The Stasi were efficient, organised and competent.

- Your opening para..."Greece has proposed recruiting students, housekeepers, and even tourists to serve as undercover tax inspectors".

- Do they accept Clowns too?

- No, this Greek government already has enough clowns.

- That's how to do it. Greek shipping magnates are often to be found at weekends selling cheap ouzo from roadside cafes in Zakynthos. Why did no-one think of this before?