Students in Paris anger Schaeuble with uncomfortable questions about Greece

It was supposed to be a civilized conversation between German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble and French students at the Sciences Po University in Paris. But youth apparently has no respect of self-righteous German officials and reminded him of possible policy mistakes in the Greek crisis. the atmosphere turned quickly from ‘civilized’ to ‘explosive’.

The first question posed by a French student was a punch in the stomach. He asked Schaeuble:  “What is your comments to the suicides in Greece, dating from the time austerity was launched in the country?” The question was received with applause by the university students from France, Germany, UK and Greece, reports German daily Handelsblatt.

The atmosphere “froze”.  It was perhaps Schaeuble’s past references to Greece’s large deficits before the crisis broke out and the fact that “no private financier wanted to pay for it for longer time.

Another student asked Schaeuble: “Sure you’re right with your references to the financial situation, but haven’t you adopted a punitive rhetoric and played a Blame Game?”

The German Finance Minister refuted the accusations and told the French audience that “the problem with Greece existed before the crisis. ” Then he held an academic short lecture on “EU governance and rules and obligations and values” and other theoretically nice and practically  vague things.

“You will not find a statement neither by me nor by the Chancellor that blames Greece. We have made a lot of efforts to bring the Greek economy into operation. But nothing has worked.” [ooops! that’s an indirect accusation, not?] Varoufakis told me: Look ,Wolfgang, we are the only party that is not corrupt, at least not yet.”

He stressed that “Europe is not the problem but the solution”. He spoke calmly but he was boiling inside. He did not like at all that he had to find himself on the defendant’s bench.

“You should take care of your own country,” Schaeuble busted in anger and added that The German Constitutional Court had decided some years ago that “we can not send refugees back to Greece because there they don’t comply with the minimum standards for humane treatment of immigrants“.  

Then Schaeuble ‘fired his last bullet’ at the students: “A disgrace for you!” he told them.

Among others he claimed also that “Germany saved Europe’s honor.” (full article in German here in Handelsblatt.de)

Yes, Greece and the migration issue was on the agenda on the unforgettable and constructive meeting between German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble and the students of Sciences Po University in Paris.

Rumors that Schaeuble whispered “I hate you all” are just rumors and exist solely in the sphere of fantasy of average Greek people and students.