A moral dilemma

Since the outbreak of the Greek debt crisis, politicians, scholars and people across Europe have been heatedly debating whether or not to save Greece.

Some feel Greece is caught in a crisis of its own making. So the EU, they say, should not help it.

Others, meanwhile, argue that since Greece is a member nation of the EU, other member nations should help it, lest the whole euro zone suffers a crippling blow.

Europeans have divergent interpretations of an article in the Treaty on European Union, which has been amended in accordance with the Lisbon Treaty.

The article says that the EU Council may grant assistance "where a member state is in difficulties or is seriously threatened with severe difficulties caused by natural disasters or exceptional occurrences beyond its control."

Some people believe that since the Greek debt crisis is not a difficulty caused by "natural disasters or exceptional occurrences," it lacks a legal basis by which the EU should rescue it.

Others, meanwhile, regard the crisis as an exceptional event beyond Greece's control, and think the EU should give a hand.

Judging from the remarks of EU leaders, the EU will not stand by as Greece suffers. It is just awaiting a proper moment to lend a helping hand. Most leaders of EU member states, moreover, are of the view that Greece should make efforts to save itself first.

Thus, the international media believes, the crisis should remain unresolved until Greece has exercised all its options. Only then, say many commentators, will the EU lend a definitive helping hand.

Some European scholars are proposing the establishment of a European Monetary Fund to serve EU member states, so as to enable the EU to respond quickly to the crises of its member states.