German elections: the Greek view

It’s no secret in Athens that austerity-weary Greeks would like to see a grand coalition emerge from Sunday’s elections in Germany. The participation in government of Peer Steinbrück and his Social Democrats, say café pundits, could bring a softening of the “keep-them-on-the-reform-treadmill” approach associated with Angela Merkel’s previous term as chancellor.

Greek bureaucrats bracing for another inspection by the “troika” – senior officials from the commission, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund official are due in Athens next Monday on their quarterly monitoring mission – are more realistic.