Greece officially complained to Germany about an insulting statement by Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble about his counterpart Yanis Varoufakis. The complain was verbal and was submitted by “the Greek ambassador to Berlin to the German Foreign Ministry on Tuesday evening,” Greek Foreign Ministry spokesman Konstantinos Koutras told journalists on Thursday.
“It was a complaint after what he (Schaeuble) said about Mr. Varoufakis. As a minister of a country that is our friend and our ally, he cannot personally insult a colleague.”
Koutras did not specify what the insult was, but Greek media had reported that Schaeuble had said that Varoufakis was “foolishly naive.” Some foreign media reported that Schaueble did not say “foolishly” and that was just a wrong translation by Greek media.
What did exactly cheerful Schaeuble tell to German journalists after the ECOFIN meeting on Tuesday?
Schaeuble in German:
“dass er nun plötzlich naiv in Sachen Kommunikation ist…
English translation: “that he is suddenly naive in communication issues.”
foolishly in German would be “blöd / blödsinnig”
Video: at 1:57 min.
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“No provocation will remain answered,” is the message Athens sends to Berlin.
PS Whether suddenly lost in “foolishly” translation or not, whether “foolishly naive” or just “naive”… the difference is just a few degrees on the Diplomacy scale of 1 – 10.
“foolishly naive”
Since when pointing out the obvious an insult 😉
Alex says:
Dear boy, in polite society, one does not “point out the obvious” as you would have it.
Were your good self to be inadequate in some small way & were you to be on the sensitive side as to that fact & were I to point it out to you – eg. “my Alex, but your nose is much to small for the size of your face”
It is considered crass of me.
Nah, that would be an insult since one can’t change his/her nose.
One could stop being “foolishly naive” however…
And we should we care to know your opinion?
What are you to Greece?
I don’t care if you care if anyone cares what you care about so if you don’t care that I care why are you caring to respond to what I care about? Care enough to answer…
Guys,
you level of misinformation is just incredible.
You are citing deliberately incorrect and out of context:
Schäuble said:
“I DO NOT BELIEVE that he would be suddenly naive in communication issues” in the context of handling communication with mass media.
And this is the only context this statement makes sense.
Your level of misinformation and propaganda is incredible.
You must have lost all – really ALL – pride.
think pejorative, ok?
It is not long ago that Varoufakis attributed to Schäuble to be the “only European politician with intellectual capacity”, bluntly offending everybody who he is supposed to deal with.
And this very guy now feels insulted? By pejorative thinking?
The “we let the creditors dance the Sirtaki” bullies complain about hurt feelings?
Finally – it really IS the Troika – every denial of this fact is Orwell’s Newspeech.
I believe to be a neutral and unbiased observer, but the reality created in greek media is so shockingly diverging from the perception in the rest of Europe, that I feel the urgent need to discuss this matter.
then greek media are at equal lever of the German media. I know little about Austrian media though.
Democracy totally depends on accurate information and balanced opinions.
My observation: those contries with quality media (and people who value them and dispise propaganda) have a better sense for their political system and a stronger stance against corruption.
Disguise, deception and propaganda are the incubators of corruption.
And corruption starts at the ballot boxes – when voters are misusing an election as an aution for selling their votes to the highest bidder.
The discrepancy between promises, expectations and reality is then being covered by lies. – Usually around conspiracies of dark foreign forces.
And this unwillingness to clean the closet is what holds a country down.
Actually it depends which media you read and in what countries. And being aware of what is being left unsaid too – for now. Obviously you don’t read english language press.
It speaks little for your intellectual curiosity that you a) are content with msm reporting and b) assume Greeks are unaware of what mainstream media in the creditor countries that make money off the 6 year greek crisis are saying! Propaganda of course. Plus trolling. We know it well.
With so little curiosity beyond msm I wonder what you are doing here at ktg?
trolling the alternative press and teaching msm democracy lol
Sure. Who does not share your opinion is a troll.
I am consuming quality media in German, English, French and Italian language and I am pretty sure to have a balanced view on what is currently going on.
You are creating your own reality and declare the end of Austeritiy, Troika and the Memorandum. Then you send your Prime Minister and your Finance Minister on a European Tour to isolate Merkel and Schäuble.
The result: 18 EU finance ministers isolate Varoufakis and his only “success”: relabeling Troika to “Institutions” – a ridiculous joke.
Of course – a conspiracy of 18 EU countries, the IMF and the EZB.
Quality media would tear this government to pieces for this performance.
What do you read in Greek MSM or alternative media? “Yippieh – talks with creditors have started”, “Talks are progressing”, “Technical talks have started”.
Varoufakis is not sharing figures, just generic bla-bla: are the figures too bad or is he incapable of compiling them?
Likely he is so generous, because in fact Greece is rich: Oil and Gas worth € 300 billion right in front of its coast and € 300 billions in reparations from WW II (from Germany, Italy and Bulgaria). How convenient: you can pay off your debt not only once, but twice!
fine. another one who knows a better one-sided and biased reality *sigh
Poor Mr. Schaeuble, to his credit only, he apologised,
Well done sir.
I listened to Mr. Schaeuble on your video – I do not speak German – so I listened invain.
English subtitles would be good.
Ploa thelo etsi –
Needless to say Varoufakis & Schaeunle will become accustomed to each others shortcomings & things will settle down somewhat.
Unless it’s deliberate on Scheuble’s part, which I suspect it is.
Of course you do.