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Greece was suddenly involved in the battle for the Republican candidate in the presidential elections in the USA in November this year. Mitt Romney, a businessman from Boston and a participant in the race for the nomination, was forced to make public his tax return. According to the Los Angeles Times newspaper, it becomes clear that Romney holds a large number of the shares in the National Bank of Greece. Among his many investments are mentioned those in a Chinese insurance company and a Turkish mobile operator as well as accounts in the Swiss bank UBS and companies based in the Cayman Islands.
    At the same time, representatives of the Democratic Party are trying to attract the Americans of Greek origin, reminding them of how vital topics for Greece such as the Cyprus dispute, visa waiver, the name issue of Macedonia and the conflict with Turkey over the Aegean Sea sunk into oblivion during the two terms of George Bush. "Bush just had no interest in solving these issues. Obama does not pressure anyone. He advises all to be cool and sit at the negotiating table. Because this is actually democracy," said Andreas Akaras, a legal adviser to Congressman John Sabanis of Greek origin.
    He noted that Obama did not hesitate to visit Ankara and in his speech before the Turkish Parliament to call for the opening of the Orthodox Seminary in Halki, which later became reality. Andreas Akaras, who was invited to Athens by the local branch of the organization Democrats Abroad accused the Republicans in Congress of blocking the USA contribution to the International Monetary Fund, as they insist that the money of USA taxpayers should not be used to finance troubled countries such as Greece. "The Republicans use the name of Greece as a byword for a failed economy," he said.
    "The problem with Obama is that he does not have so much confidence in himself as other people's confidence in him," said Elena Panariti, PASOK deputy and author of Prosperity Unbound. She drew a parallel with PASOK leader George Papandreou, who before the elections in Greece in 2009, left too high expectations among the electorate that he would tackle corruption and would ensure economic growth and prosperity. And when he failed to meet these expectations, he was forced to resign from the leadership post.