European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has claimed he “fought hard” in 2015 to prevent Greece being expelled from the single currency, and ensure the stability of the economically ravaged country. Greek society may beg to greatly differ.
In an interview with Politico.eu, Juncker claimed he stuck up for Greece against stiff opposition from German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schauble, who wished to see the country ejected from the euro.
“If the Commission had not ensured Greece wasn’t expelled from the eurozone in 2015, the balance would be less good. I fought hard for the stability of the Eurogroup, in particular for Greece. If I hadn’t done that, the eurozone would have decayed,” Juncker stressed.
Juncker has repeatedly professed his affinity for the Greek nation — most recently in July, when he visited Aristotle University in Thessaloniki, Greece’s second-largest city, to receive an honorary doctorate award.
In his acceptance speech, he claimed he had fallen in love with the nation, and paid tribute to “those Greeks nobody knows.”
“The poorer part of the society, they are paying the price. Not the elites — the poorer part of this country are paying the price and in no other country would this have been possible,” he said.
I remember very well, how Jean-Claude Juncker defended Greece and fought that we stay in the eurozone. I remember well how Juncker’s support statements were effectively summarized into one more strict austerity package, the majority of Greeks rejected in the Referendum on July 2015. All Juncker’s statement form the time are in KTG archives.
For those who forget: the referendum question was “Do you accept Juncker’s austerity package?”
Of course, he supported Greece, even against the Greeks’ will.
No doubt, the President of the European Commission supported Greece. A true philellene who fought for Greece better than the Greeks?
Too bad, he ultimately could not but bow to Schaeuble’s demands “if not Grexit kill the Greeks with another bailout.”
A bailout of 86billion euros with more austerity with additional income, pensions, health and welfare cuts. Not to mention the Value Added Tax increases that went into effect right the next referendum week, increases that skyrocketed prices for food and other products for basic needs.
And look what is happening: Greeks are not even a little bit grateful to Jean-Claude Juncker.
Juncker interview to Politico.eu.
PS I always thought it was amazing how politicians drown a rosy picture of their achievement and delete from their memory cells their failures and wrong-doings. Maybe they are not aware of It is part of their survival strategy, I suppose. And yet, amid this puzzle of nice pictures and blooming flowers and singing birds, the truth and the real motives comes out: “the eurozone would have decayed.”
Very simple:
1. There is NO law for expelling one country from the Euro.
2. AND there is NO law that oblieges European citizens to save German and Frensh banks.
3. There is NO law that allows the European Central Bank to threaten an EU country to apply “special” policies or otherwise it will shut down it’s banks.
4. There is NO law that oblieges a country to let it’s pensioners starve.
5. There is NO law that oblieges a country to privatize it’s health system.
6. There is NO law that oblieges a country to “sell” out it’s crucial, sensitive assets like habours, airports, electricity plants, telecommunication, water AND soil like islands!!!