German Chancellor Angela Merkel is said to be planning to address the nation in case Greece reaches a deal with its creditors. “Which nation?”, one may ask. The Greek or the German? “The German nation, the German lawmakers and the German public,” writes Bloomberg because in case of a deal, Merkel will have to persuade some one third of her own conservative CDU/CSU bloc’s lawmakers to refrain from revolting.
Any substantial changes to the conditions for Greece’s 240 billion-euro ($271 billion) aid program need approval by the German Parliament, the Bundestag. As many as 100 of Merkel’s 311 lawmakers may still be holdouts, officials told Bloomberg.
“Merkel would hold the speech after Greece and its creditors agree on a deal with conditions she deems strong enough to sell to parliament and the German public, according to two government officials. She would argue that a Greek exit from the euro area would risk causing geopolitical instability in the region, said the officials, who asked not to be identified because the discussions are private.
While some German policy makers have hardened their stance against helping Greece, others are hinting at more flexibility to avert a financial collapse.
“Should we seriously go and prescribe in detail what the Greeks are allowed to spend and what revenue they can have?” Deputy Finance Minister Thomas Steffen said in an interview. “I say no. It’s the rough framework that has to be clear.” (full story Bloomberg)
Why is this news important for a blog post? Honestly I don’t know. But I must confess that when I read the title “Merkel Said to Plan Address for Greece If Deal Reached” last night, I felt for a moment … agitated that German Chancellor Angela Merkel would address the Greek nation!!! Or even worse: that she would address the global audience!
And this reminded me of a diplomatic faux pas attributed to Heinrich Lübke, German President from 1959 t0 1969. Visiting Liberia in 1962, Heinrich Lübke allegedly had started his speech saying “Esteemed Ladies and Gentlemen, dear Negroes!” or in plain German “Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren, liebe Neger!”
Occasionally KTG suffers from light attacks of paranoia with voices paraphrasing John Lennon’s song and claiming that Merkel is the leader of the world, while the rest of us has just to follow her rules. Of course, these voices are claiming nonsense, because Angela Merkel is the leader of the Eurozone and the European Union only.
PS Epic Euro War drama “Gone with German self-satisfaction and complacency”. features Angela Merkel as the Good Cop and Wolfgang Schaeuble as the Bad Cop. So simple is that.
Angie is busy learning perfect Greek to live on Tinos together with old time GDR bed fellow Putin but who will speak Greek with that kind of long time tourists?
A deal would be the last day of angies career. Its simple: She does not defend us against the NSA, she does not defend us against greedy greeks. How can she give in, when the greek government constantly calls us Nazis and is absolutely ungrateful?
And if Greece wins, gets new money, does not reform – how can anyone not see that this will be the end of Europe and the Euro?? No one will reform anymore. Giving in to Greece demands, will bring a situation where Germany and other core european countries have to pay for everything. Do you believe this is stable? Do you believe this will happen?
Man up! Reform, its that easy. Take some godd..n responsibility for your self! It worked in Spain, Portugal, Ireland. They dont cry, they take our help reform and progress.
No one reforms anymore anyway since the ECB introduced the Quantitative Easing.
Except Greece, Greece is the only country that’s not getting bought out with Q.E. but that’s not in the news.
it was in the news.
It became less, indeed. But I would not say there are no more reforms (there are no more in germany, I can guarantee that. And there is enough to reform!)
Still, there is progress. Ireland and Spain are not up solely due to the ECB. And Portugal as well as Italy are reforming.
However, I appreciate you allowed my comments eventhough we obviously disagree
I allow all comments unless they are racist or gibberish
Oh.
How generous: only “cripple in a wheelchair” is allowed.
Wonder how many of your readersare plagued with exactly this handicap…
You and your left wing radicals are generous and quick with Nazi allegations and denouncations of anykind, but rather thin-skinned, when I call you exactly what you are:
Thin skinned left wing radicals with heavy paranoia and supporters of a nationalistic and socialist government.
I have to agree with you, Chris, that it is highly insulting to anyone unfortunate enough to be confined to a wheelchair to be associated with such a megalomaniac crook as Schaeuble.
and yes, I am fed up. I am angry. I dont want to throw my money in a deep hole and be called an as.hole for that