Preview: Greece Faces Troika Inspectors and German Vote Today

EU and IMF inspectors¹ are set to return to Greece today to decide whether Athens has done enough to secure its latest installment² of its EU/IMF bailout.

As CRI's Su Yi reports, at the same time, the German parliament is also set to vote on whether to expand the euro zone's rescue fund.

 
The so-called "troika" team of inspectors are set to hold talks with Greek officials to discuss their plans to further slash³ Greece's budget and hike taxes.

European officials have been threatening to cut off aid if Athens doesn't move faster.

A final decision on whether to release the next batch⁴ of 8 billion euros is expected to be announced sometime in the coming month.

Greece is poised⁵ to run out of cash by the end of October.

The Greek government has been accelerating its austerity measures to try to meet the terms of the bailout, including a new property tax, which has sparked mass demonstrations⁶ across Greece.

Meanwhile, many analysts⁷ are now suggesting that Chancellor⁸ Angela Merkel is facing the biggest test of her six-year leadership today.

Germany's lower house of parliament is due to vote on whether to allow Germany to take part in an expansion of the existing Eurozone bailout fund.

There is little doubt that the vote will pass.

However, the big question is whether Merkel will see it pass through her own coalition⁹ majority.

Juergen Falter¹⁰ is a professor for political science at the university of Mainz.

"Angela Merkel will have a majority tomorrow, a majority for the European safety system. But it may be that she won't have a majority on her own, from her own coalition. And this would mean of course, at least symbolically¹¹, that she would be weakened."

The turmoil¹² in Greece, and the political uncertainty¹³ at home in Germany, has some in the eurozone's largest economy now questioning their own country's financial stability.

"They did too much (damage), they should have stopped it earlier. Before they spend all that money. Because nothing has been checked, that's the way it looks."

"Germany cannot pay for everything. Just because we still have a prosperous economy. Still. I think we someone should now step on the brakes."

So far 10 of the Eurozone's 17 member countries have shown support for an expansion of the current bailout fund.

For CRI, I'm Su Yi.

1 inspectors   

n.检查员( inspector的名词复数 )；（英国公共汽车或火车上的）查票员；（警察）巡官；检阅官

参考例句：

• They got into the school in the guise of inspectors. 他们假装成视察员进了学校。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Inspectors checked that there was adequate ventilation. 检查员已检查过，通风良好。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 installment   

n.(instalment)分期付款；(连载的)一期

参考例句：

• I shall soon pay the last installment of my debt.不久我将偿付我的最后一期债款。
• He likes to buy things on the installment plan.他喜欢用分期付款法购买货物。

3 slash   

vi.大幅度削减；vt.猛砍，尖锐抨击，大幅减少；n.猛砍，斜线，长切口，衣衩

参考例句：

• The shop plans to slash fur prices after Spring Festival.该店计划在春节之后把皮货降价。
• Don't slash your horse in that cruel way.不要那样残忍地鞭打你的马。

4 batch   

n.一批(组，群)；一批生产量

参考例句：

• The first batch of cakes was burnt.第一炉蛋糕烤焦了。
• I have a batch of letters to answer.我有一批信要回复。

5 poised   

a.摆好姿势不动的

参考例句：

• The hawk poised in mid-air ready to swoop. 老鹰在半空中盘旋，准备俯冲。
• Tina was tense, her hand poised over the telephone. 蒂娜心情紧张，手悬在电话机上。

6 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

7 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

8 chancellor   

n.(英)大臣；法官；(德、奥)总理；大学校长

参考例句：

• They submitted their reports to the Chancellor yesterday.他们昨天向财政大臣递交了报告。
• He was regarded as the most successful Chancellor of modern times.他被认为是现代最成功的财政大臣。

9 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

10 falter   

vi.(嗓音)颤抖，结巴地说；犹豫；蹒跚

参考例句：

• His voice began to falter.他的声音开始发颤。
• As he neared the house his steps faltered.当他走近房子时，脚步迟疑了起来。

11 symbolically   

ad.象征地，象征性地

参考例句：

• By wearing the ring on the third finger of the left hand, a married couple symbolically declares their eternal love for each other. 将婚戒戴在左手的第三只手指上，意味着夫妻双方象征性地宣告他们的爱情天长地久，他们定能白头偕老。
• Symbolically, he coughed to clear his throat. 周经理象征地咳一声无谓的嗽，清清嗓子。

12 turmoil   

n.骚乱，混乱，动乱

参考例句：

• His mind was in such a turmoil that he couldn't get to sleep.内心的纷扰使他无法入睡。
• The robbery put the village in a turmoil.抢劫使全村陷入混乱。

13 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。