Clearly angry about the lastest pressure on Greece from the side of its so-called European partners, and especially angry about German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeublem, the President of the Republic Karolos Papoulias “fired back”.
“I cannot accept that Mr Schaeuble taunts my country. I cannot accept it as a Greek. Who is Mister Schaeuble who can taunt Greece? Who are the Dutch? Who are the Finns?”
Papoulias strong reaction came after Germany, Finland and the Netherlands threaten to halt the aid package to Greece until after the palriamentary elections take place.
“We all have the duty to overcome the cricis” Papoulias added and stressed that ” We have always been proud to defend not only our own freedom, not only our own country, but the freedom of Europe.”
Video: Papoulias on Schaeuble in Greek
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Papoulias criticized in the strongest manner ‘games’ played by Greece European “partners” who after enforced the Papademos government to pass the new loan agreement and the additional austerity package, now threaten to give the new aid package only after the palriamentary elecetions will have taken place. And mos tpobably put pressure and blackmail the future government as well.
On Wednesday morning, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble expressed concern about the commitments of the future Greek government taking into consideration that the public opinion and the political parties are against the austerity measures and the loan agreement. He propposed even a government of technocrats like in Italy.
Read the controversial excerpt from Schaeuble’s interview in “German FinMin: Blatant intervetion in Greece’s democratic procedures“.
To paraphrase an ancient Greek proverb: The taunt is in the eye of the beholder…
Pressure of assurances to uphold deals after election is “Blatant Intervention in Greece’s Democratic Procedures”. And waiting with implementing the deal after the election to see if the next government will uphold the deal or wants to renegotiate it is also met with “Blatant Intervention in Greece’s Democratic Procedures”. 😕
And to answer the questions of the president: Mr. Schaüble is the Finance Minister of Germany, the Dutch are the citizens of a small and crowded country in the Rhine delta and Fins are living in a big and very uncrowded country in the north of Europe. Both have infamous English expressions with their name on. Going Dutch and Finlandization. As a twice former Minister of Foreign Affairs he should know that. 😛
is this supposed to be …funny?
No, the second part is a stupid answer to a stupid remark by the president. A very uncharacteristic one of him, I hasten to add. Think the hatred he feels thrown at him by so many Greeks when he is at functions must deeply effect him.
And the first part is an observation of a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” being put before the creditors at the moment.
it’s not stupid, it’s what we call ‘rhetoric question’. Hellooooo!
Then consider my answer a ‘rhetorical answer’.
OK lol
Just black and white?
Harsh criticism from EU Parliament
Cohn-Bendit called troika “neo-lieberal Taliban”
Strong criticism from the EU Parliament: Greece instead “save broken,” the country needs at last proposals to stimulate the economy. Athens will be “blackmailed” by the Troika, criticized the Social Democrats. The Greens called the international donors as a “neo Taliban.”
Info
Strasbourg / Athens – was planned in the European parliament in Strasbourg actually a debate to prepare for the next EU summit on 1 and 2 March in Brussels. But it was a heated debate over the politics of Greece from European Union (EU), International Monetary Fund (IMF) and European Central Bank (ECB) existing troika. Their constant demands were saving some harsh criticism.
DISPLAY
There are increasing demands for greater growth initiatives for Greece – the country instead of “save broken”. The troika call things “worse yet sure” the situation of the Greek population was said Hannes Swoboda, chairman of the Social Democrats. “Greece is being blackmailed by the Troika in some way.” But the country needs “no senior teacher with the cane.”
The Social Democrats now want to send a custom “troika” of parliamentarians to Greece, to discuss with government officials and trade unionists on an alternative program. It should include proposals to stimulate the economy and create jobs.
Callanan urges orderly bankruptcy
The Green Party co-party leader Daniel Cohn-Bendit called the Troika of international donors even a “neo-Taliban,” the pension cuts prescribe, accept instead of savings in the defense budget. In light of previous cost-cutting measures in Athens the charge is unjust that the country was inactive.
The chairman of the Conservatives, Britain’s Martin Callanan called for the orderly bankruptcy for Athens. The bankruptcy and the devaluation of the currency was “the only solution to preserve the wreck of the Greek economy is more ‘.
Savings and reform commitments even after election
On Wednesday, the Greek government reached an important stage win: The heads of coalition parties committed themselves in writing obligated to comply with the savings and reform commitments even after the April election.
Socialist leader George Papandreou and the Conservative leader, Antonis Samaras sent, according to their respective parties to representatives of the Euro-zone. This was one of the conditions for the adoption of new billions in aid for Greece. Samaras said, should his party win the coming elections, he would with the principles, objectives and policies as described in the second rescue package remain committed. Papandreou had given its commitment declared to the day before.
On the eve of the Council of Ministers had decided to bring together through reductions in the budgets of various ministries and especially of pensions which required additional savings of 325 million €.
Government complains a dwindling support
A scheduled for Wednesday evening meeting of the Euro Group on the situation in Greece was canceled at short notice on Tuesday. Euro group chief Jean-Claude Juncker stated as reasons including the fact that Greece had not fulfilled the conditions for the adoption of new billions in aid amounting to 130 billion euros. Instead, the Euro-Finance advised late Wednesday evening in a conference call about the situation.
Venizelos complained of diminishing support: “In the euro zone, there are some who do not want us anymore,” he the Greek President Karolos Papoulias said, according to official figures. The state of the negotiations on the new aid program in the amount of 130 billion € said Venizelos, the conclusion has “become very difficult.”
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The federal government rejected speculation that it considers a national bankruptcy is inevitable and acceptable. “I can clearly say the federal government, that these rumors are false. Such a decision by Germany, there is not,” said government spokesman Steffen Seibert clearly in Berlin.
The European Commission, expressed again at speed. “The expire time”, the spokesman for Monetary Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn said on Wednesday.
It is unclear when the letter of intent will be announced at a cut debt with private creditors such as banks and insurance companies want. The national debt will fall by around 100 billion €. An agreement in principle there should be already, but the extent is open.
Source: http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/0,1518,815502,00.html
The true fins belong to Mongolia and the lowlanders have enough money to build themselves a hill worth of billions starving children.
It really looks like these totally stressed jerks just forgot about the elections. As said before and as Greece can’t be forced out legally they try to provoke it. They want Drachmas to buy Greece and create a perfect wonder of economics: total wage slavery for it’s still not kneeing proletariat.
The best will be to hold the elections on Feb 19th just like it was promised. A coalition of ND and KKE will be really funny and may lead these mutants to sheer heart attacks.
and ND, KKE + SYRIZA + Democratic Left…. lol
Its time for Greece to go all in and call the bluff from the powers that be: State that they will get out of NATO and allow russia to build bases and radar systems in greece (wouldnt that ruffle some feathers) with the added step of purchasing russian arms in return for assistance with the exploration and development of the hydrocarbon reserves contained within its waters… Greece has nothing to lose at this point in time. and will get the troika to think twice about how they deal with us… Greece out of Western NATO to join a new Eastern alliance with Russia playing a significant part.
Greece out of EU, EZ and NATO? hm… first time I heard that!