Greeks puzzle over PM Samaras’ message in EP: “We delivered”

These Greeks are impossible. Hardly had prime minister Antonis Samaras concluded his speech at the European Parliament in Strasbourg and they started to make jokes. Reason for the mockery on internet was the final message of the Greek PM.

“The country, which was now entering a period of growth, had honored its pledges and its signature. In other words….” said Samaras in Greek …concluding in English  “We delivered.”

“We delivered”? What? I was indeed surprised to hear an English bite at the end of a long speech in Greek.

“What did we deliver?” I asked myself in the assumption of English grammar and syntax rules that the verb ‘deliver’ needs an object.

Greek internet users knew better… “it’s pizza business jargon” a Tweeter knew. Another made it very clear with reference to former working experience of Greek PM Samaras in a pizza parlor:

@mariaineurope “You can take the boy out of the pizza parlour but you can’t take the pizza parlour out of the boy.”

Another Twitter user made reference to a British ruling according to which “Only pizzas can be delivered”: Public sector jargon banned in first style guide for Government announcements

Some others stuck to the usual cliches: we delivered unemployment, suicides, etc etc.

But if  you definitely want to know what else PM Samaras delivered in his speech in front of the European Parliament, read below:

“The reinforcement of growth and employment, the completion of economic and monetary union as well as immigration policy were at the top of the agenda of the Greek rotating presidency of the European Union, Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras noted in a speech addressed to the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday.

Presenting the six-month presidency’s program at a plenary session, the Greek Prime Minister spoke of the need to strike a balance between fiscal discipline and growth as well as to provide liquidity to the real economy, especially through the funding of small and medium-scale businesses.

Samaras also noted that the Greek presidency would strengthen EU ties with its traditional allies, such as the United States.

On the subject of Greece, Samaras said that the country’s rough course was due to its own mistakes but also to errors in the fiscal multiplier used by the troika for its adjustment program.

The country, which was now entering a period of growth, had honored its pledges and its signature. “We delivered,» said the Greek premier.” (via ekathimerini)

More details about Samaras’ speech in Greek here