The countries of Central Europe that endured Nazi and Soviet totalitarianism do not need lessons in legitimacy from anyone – especially not the Greek prime minister. The brave Baltic countries – the “legality” of whose independence is reportedly being reviewed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, another unsavory pal of Tsipras – have not yielded to panic or succumbed to the temptation to burden others with their misfortune.
相反，我要强调一个事实：齐普拉斯的欧洲领导人同侪并不比他更不民主、更不合法。经历了纳粹和苏联极权主义的中欧国家不需要从任何人那里接受合法性教育——特别是希腊总理。勇敢的巴尔干国家——据说它们的独立的“合法性”正在接受另一位令人讨厌的齐普拉斯的朋友、俄罗斯总统普京的检查——没有向恐惧屈服，也没有向把不幸转嫁给其他国家的诱惑屈服。它们没有以自己也处于挣扎中为由不履行与希腊同舟共济的责任。