Can Greece Shine its Way out of Default?

Greece is a financial mess and many Greeks are beside themselves that Germany is coming to the rescue.  History between the two countries aside, Germany, a global leader in solar energy, is mulling a path for Greece to emerge out of its fiscal misery.  Last week Germany’s economy minister, Phillip Rösler, descended on Athens to discuss potential solar projects that at most could provide 60,000 Greeks with jobs.

As The Guardian’s Helena Smith reported last week, the devil is in the details:

But while rampant corruption, a notorious bureaucracy and a weak justice system have also played a major part in keeping foreign firms out of the European Union state, the ruling socialists are also hoping the country's abundant sunshine can attract German renewable energy companies. Among the 60 business leaders traveling with Rösler are several from the alternative energy sector, which, if expanded, could see foreign lenders help kickstart Greece's recession-hit economy along with tourism and food processing.

Usually oil and gas pipelines cause ruckuses between neighboring and regional countries, but Germany’s trial balloons to seek Greece as a solar power partner make for a compelling move.  Considering Germany’s successful track record in generating solar energy, future success could be a template for how other countries, or American states, can harvest clean energy to its fullest potential.  Southeastern Europe could become a robust economic engine after all.

Photo is of a solar power business fair at Athens’ Syntagma Square Station, November 2010.