Thousands of Greek employees and pensioners with accounts in Cypriot banks in Greece worry about their money. “Will the Cypriots banks explode in my hands?” a retired neighbor asked me last night.
Several months ago, he opened a bank account at the branch of a Cypriot bank in Athens, because it was offering a better interest rate than the Greek ones: full 5% “if you open an account for your salary or pension” promised the attractive slogan. The neighbor, a former civil servant, did a lot of paper work with the state bureaucracy to have his pension be paid at the Cypriot bank.
Now the man feels totally trapped and cheated -and maybe even a bit victim of his own greed -. “Every day I go to the bank ATM and withdraw a little bit form my account. But what will happen with my pension end of the month?” he asked worried that the banks remain closed also next week or go bankrupt.
The bank where he has his money is claimed to have to close down.
My neighbor is not alone with his worries.
Private Skai TV reported Tuesday morning of some 400-500 members of the Greek Armed Forces who gathered outside the Greek Treasury that pays all civil servants demanding that it would not transfer their salaries to the Cypriot banks.
According to defense news website onalert.gr, the soldiers wanted to be paid in cash. Something that it is not possible.
Equally worried are the members of Greek police with wages accounts in Cypriot banks.
Probably conscious about the problem it may arise, Greek finance minister Yiannis Stournaras declared “Greece had a Plan B for Cypriot banks in Greece” as they could not remain closed for longer period of time. Stournaras did not elaborate about the Plan.
