The European Commission got angry at the chief of Eurogroup Jeroen Dijsselbloem for issuing a statement announcing the freezing of short-term debt-relief measures for Greece due to social support for low pensioners.
Dijsselbloem had claimed that the institutions had taken the decision.
Statement on #greece pic.twitter.com/7kmVmf0eQJ
— Michel Reijns (@MichelReijns) December 14, 2016
But the EU commission, one of the institutions referred to in the statement, was taken by surprise and criticized the move.
“One cannot say that this decision was taken on the basis of a commission evaluation, because this evaluation has not been completed,” EU finance commissioner Pierre Moscovici said.
“Those who want the suspension of short-term measures have to take responsibility,” he added, in an implicit jab at Germany, and more especially its finance minister Wolfgang Schaeuble, who had only reluctantly agreed to the debt measures.
The suspension appeared to have been decided under German pressure without consulting other institutions.
On Wednesday morning, Germany had asked the institutions whether the pensioners’ bonus was in line with the bailout programme agreed last year.
“In order to make the programme successful, it is necessary that measures are not decided unilaterally or reversed without notice,” said Schaeuble’s spokesman.
Moscovici also contested the basis for the suspension. He said that the debt relief measures were agreed after the first review of the bailout programme was completed and should not be put into question by decisions taken afterwards.
According to latest reports, there might be a decision still in December.
Apparently, the German point of view is that “all surplus must be spent for the debt repayment” and not be wasted on social measures or other internal spending
Earlier on Thursday, KTG wrote a blog post with the title: Thus Spake Schaeuble
Later on Thursday, also the ESM felt it had to take position on the issue
Efi Koutsokosta @Efkouts 19m19 minutes ago
Source #ESM: EZ member states will decide how to proceed with short term debt measures on #Greece
Meanwhile, in Athens, the Greek parliament voted in favor of the Christmas bonus for the low-pensioners with 192 YES.
In favor voted: SYRIZA, Independent Greeks, PASOK, KKE and Golden Dawn.
Main opposition party New Democracy voted “present”, while TO POTAMI and Centrists’ Union abstained.
It has been cler for some time that Schaueble thinks he runs the whole EU, and the bootlicking Dutch are in full agreement. The Commission should prosecute Germany for an illegal act: the only way to make Germans obey the law is to give them a very nasty kick up the ****. This is a long-established historical fact, so it should come as no surprise to anyone that it is needed. Apparently, the Dutch choose to forget their own history.
Wolfie does nothing other than follow his nature as a reincarnated predatory Nazi. It is the other members of the miserable Eurozone who have chosen to be his gophers. Stockholm syndrome or is it that “the money is too much”?
Agreements are reached, but then not kept to – many EU/EZ officials just shrug their shoulders when this happens, and allow the ‘agreement’ to be circumvented, offering messages of ‘understanding’. A few (including Dr.WS and Dijsselbloem) have had, and still have, the courage to try to insist that agreements are kept to – and then they are castigated for this!! No wonder the EU is a mess – and Moscovici recently credited himself grandiosely with being the ‘EU/EZ Finance Minister’, clearly exceeding his authority, which is now what he accuses Dr.WS and Dijss. of doing!
192 Votes sounds good, this is the only way to force Europe to really open their eyes about the bastards that call Eastern Aegean shores “Riviera”, because they are just stupid thieves that have no creativity for own names or may be never knew where Riviera is? Wait, it’s a band’s name and they sing Italian… just unbelievable