The man has nerve. And urgently needs crash courses in Democracy. German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble intervened in the democratic process of elections and openly threatened Greek voters. In an attempt to influence the free democratic choice, Schaeuble said that “if Greek voters were to vote for a majority that does not honour those agreements, then Greece will have to bear the consequences.”
Germany’s FinMin:new Greek govt must respect pledges
German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said on Friday the next Greek government must abide by commitments made by Athens under its EU/IMF bailout programme or “bear the consequences”.
Schaeuble issued his carefully veiled warning two days before a Greek election in which radical anti-bailout parties are expected to perform well, raising the risk of the country’s eventual exit from the euro zone.
“The future government in Greecemust abide by the country’s commitments,” Schaeuble said in a speech during an event organised by his ruling centre-right Christian Democrats in the western German city of Cologne.
“If Greek voters were to vote for a majority that does not honour those agreements, then Greece will have to bear the consequences of that,” he said.
“EU membership is voluntary,” he added, without elaborating. (Further Reading REUTERS)
Prompt was the answer from Alexis Tsipras, leader of left-wing SYRIZA, a party expected to emerge third out of the elections.
Say “Grrrrrreece!”
“We all know that Schaeuble wishes and works for a joint win of Venizelos [PASOK] and Samaras [Nea Dimokiratia]. If he wants it that much, I tell him that: Come and vote for them. But you should know the time when you were dealing with people on the SIEMENS lists is over.”
Part of a free democratic process is knowing, as a voter, all the facts before going into the polling booth. As Greek politicians have shown themselves utterly incapable of providing their voters with these fact in a truthful manner and most of the press here is partisan too, it might as well be a German finance minister to make clear what his position is.
And saying that “Greece will have to bear the consequences” when the next government does not “honour those agreements” is stating the obvious. No thread there, just a fact.
“Greece will have to bear the consequences.”
Apart from the mafia undertones, making this a veiled threat of all sorts of horrors that will in all probability not happen, AntonisX is dead right. This is stating the obvious. But then Germany too will have to bear the consequences of an anti-austerity vote, as they will if the Irish referendum rejects the stability pact or Hollande wins in France and seeks a re-negotiation of the pact.
What I would like to see is a consideration of the consequences of mass unemployment across Europe, of pan-European recession and the consequent failure to address sovereign debt. And that would mean a critical evaluation of the EUs macro economic policy, not a simple assertion that there is no alternative.
correct!
“And saying that “Greece will have to bear the consequences” when the next government does not “honour those agreements” is stating the obvious. No thread there, just a fact.” It if is so obvious as you say then there was really no need for the good Herr Schaeuble to say anything ! There is no mistaking the undertones in that message. I hope that Greeks have the Balls to vote the criminal politicians out. This country has been under the rule of four families for the past 150 years. It really is time for a change.
Even if the whole world would become saints overnight and the policy would be growth, growth, growth and no more austerity, Greece still would go totally bust. Because it still will fall on Greece and the Greeks themselves to clear up their own mess. And as things are standing now every positive stimulation from outside, be it investments, policy chances, massive money injection into the Greek society, all the same crooks are still in place and will rob us blind again and again.
It might be me, but I heard only one politician call for the abolition of the privileges and immunity laws for politicians. Just ONE. That, when what Greece needs as first action after the elections is just that: throw out those immunity laws. Then call in foreign auditors and let them check every pothen eches of every politician of the last 10 years. And every dot and comma that is misstated should lead to prosecution. And while they are at it they also should go over every inch of the big Greek business families and the top 10.000 of the civil service.
Only then there might be a beginning of hope that something will change for the good here. But I won’t hold my breath, I am sad to say…
It is about time the predator is turned into the prey.
These traditional pinnacles of honesty and compassion won’t risk contagion. Let them huff and puff all they want.
Judging others by their actions is proof they will renegotiate punishing austerity that only fuels death spiral. What did they expect, embarrassingly unable to manage a measly 2.5% of the euro with mean spirited cuts that never work than stimulus.
This old foe remains profoundly astounding to this day, to be seen to be believed. 100% skin head haircut and return the gold stolen in WWII that would repay the debt today. While they are at it, repatriate for half a million lives by stealing their food. Today, they are back! I hope they vote Oxi, and act as they did when they set a precedent for the rest of Europe to follow in Nazi defiance.
Only the people can do this… by standing united against the horrific tyranny and loans with totalitarian terms under ultimatum.