Greek problems are not new

The birthplace of democracy has gotten used to turmoil, says Ryle Dwyer

THE 17 countries of the eurozone — Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxem-bourg, Malta, the Netherlands Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain — are almost as diverse as the continent of Europe itself.

In terms of history and tradition, democracy is a relative newcomer within the 17. None could be said to have been democratic throughout the 20th century. Most were occupied by foreign powers at some point.