It wasn’t that long ago that Greece was the black sheep of Europe. The southern Europeans were on the verge of national bankruptcy several times. In 2014, the “bankrupt Greeks” were all over the media. They were even suggested to sell some Mediterranean islands. They were also seen as lazy, corrupt and greedy for billions of euros from the EU.
What an irony of history that Greece of all places is introducing the 6-day week from July 1st. Yes, it is an optional model and not compulsory – which is absolutely correct in its design. And yes, civil servants are exempt. But the message is clear: extra work should be worthwhile.
Those who work on weekends receive high bonuses. Greece is setting exactly the right impulses. Germany is currently moving in the opposite direction. Incentives for a four-day week are being discussed here.
The same pay for less work. How more cars are to be built instead of fewer is still not fully clear. A four-day week increases the already high labor costs in Germany and makes the business location less attractive for foreign investment.
In Greece, however, the liberal-conservative government has recognized that the population’s willingness to perform is actually an advantage. The six-day week is much more than just a symbol. Greece has learned from its mistakes and is now gradually reaping the rewards.
It is still unclear whether people will actually be working more soon, but the course is right. Thanks to reforms such as the stronger fight against the shadow economy, the country’s economic growth is above the EU average. The EU Commission is expecting growth of 2.2 percent for the current year. Germany is lagging far behind with a measly 0.1 percent.
The Greeks’ success is having an impact: Microsoft is building a data center in Athens, and other tech companies are also investing heavily. The British “Economist” named Greece the best economy last year – for the second year in a row.
The traffic light government can certainly learn something from this. Hoping for short-term effects such as a successful European Football Championship will not help much. If the Federal Republic does not want to be the “sick man” of Europe for a long time, it needs a long-term change in mentality with a course towards better performance. Otherwise we will probably soon have to think about selling Sylt.
