Greece is held hostage by the wish to be "part of Europe", which is rooted in the experience of being under the Colonels around 1970.

Ha! Isn't this the exact same story as Spain and Portugal?  

The rapid adoption of a European identity allowed the countries to shed the appearance of authoritarianism almost overnight.

What does is mean if Europe wasn't a destination for these countries, but instead only an escape?

And I'll give my consent to any government that does not deny a man a living wage-Billy Bragg