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GERMAN CHANCELLOR ANGELA Merkel has said that for Europe to thrive, Greece needs to elect a government that will keep to the current bailout agreements.
Speaking at a conference of her conservative party today, Merkel said that promises cannot be continuously broken by Europeans. “It cannot be the case and this is also an issue now in connection with the Greek election – that what comes out in the end is that those who don’t keep to an agreement, can so to speak, lead everyone else through the arena by the nose ring.
“That won’t work,” she added. “That is why it is so important that, in the Greek election tomorrow…a result emerges in which those who form a government in future tell us, yes, we want to keep to the agreements.”
Greece is to hold its second national elections in six weeks tomorrow as coalition talks failed to bring about a government after the initial split vote.
Germany’s vice-chancellor echoed his leader’s comments in a interview with the Bild am Sonntag newspaper. Insisting “solidarity is not a one way street”, Philipp Roesler said that “any future government will have to continue with agreed austerity and reform”.
“Without reforms, there can be no further money,” warned the Economy Minister.
Greece’s electorate go to the polls tomorrow amid fears that the country could be kicked out of the eurozone if the terms of its €130 billion bailout are rejected – something the radical left Syriza party has threatened to do if it wins a majority.
According to Reuters, Alexis Tsipras’s Syriza are currently tied with the conservative New Democracy party. Eurogroup president Jean-Claude Juncker has expressed his concerns over the possibility of a win for the left.
In a newspaper interview with the Austrian paper Kurier, he said:
If the radical left wins – which cannot be ruled out – the consequences for the currency union are unforeseeable. We will have to speak to any government. I can only warn everyone against leaving the currency union. The internal cohesion of the euro zone would be in danger.This has to be avoided. This would send a devastating signal. The Greeks must be aware of this.
Meanwhile, in the US Barack Obama has said that he is looking for more powerful signals from Europe that it is resolving its financial crisis.
“Obviously, this matters to us because Europe is our largest economic trading partner,” Obama said. “If there’s less demand for our products in places like Paris or Madrid, it could mean less business for manufacturers in places like Pittsburgh or Milwaukee. The good news is there is a path out of this challenge. These decisions are fundamentally in the hands of Europe’s leaders.”
-Additional reporting by AP
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One of the main purposes of the European Union project was to ensure that no single country, read Germany, could be allowed become as powerful as Germany is right now. The notion of a German chancellor dictating a policy of pain and suffering to another European nation which already saw its fair share of the same thanks to previous German chancellors is disgusting and absolutely unacceptable.
Dead right you are!
On the money there. And why all the delay tactics by Germany. Because its the perfect storm for them.
The reason Greece is bust is not the fault of the EU. Greece put themselves in this mess.
Blaming Europe is just a lazy cop out.
Greek bailout: Where the parties stand
http://trenchpress.com/?p=14173
If the people in a country are poor, they tend to usually lean towards socialism expecting the government to help them, despite that the government put them in the mess.
Syriza has the best chance to win which does not want to pay the bailout and go to court over government fraud. The 2 main parties New Democracy & Pasok that put Greece in Debt are also close to winning which want to continue with what put the county in the mess.
David,
At this stage even you must realise the ones who put Greece where it is are Goldman Sachs, the ECB, and some corrupt Greek officials.
David Higgins who lent them the money? Blaming Greece is a lazy copy out. Hopefully the Greeks will have enough sense to vote no to Merkel and her policies.
David Higgins, you are sending like an crazy conspiracy theorist nowadays with your outlandish claims that its the peoples fault. How times are a changing. The people are wking up to your idol Inda and his traitorous buddy Noonan. Be careful you dont get too pally with them. Our noose is big enough for you to.
Greece to Germany: f**k off.
Er, Dr Merkel, Democracy called and asked you to butt out..
do u know what!! germany can keep their currency and pay off the other bond holders them selfs.
i watched that program with george lee the other nite, where a german journalist said that germans are affraid that other struggling eu countrys might leave the euro currency… damn right be very affraid, coz ireland had enough…R.I.P. euro
Sadly U-turn artists Kenny and Gilmore don’t have the balls to stand up to Germany.
The cowards are just following Merkel’s orders like good obeying lapdogs.
They are a pair of spineless, traitorous wimps and with the 100 years anniversary of 1916, they should hang their heads in shame.
U should get award for that simple honest statement who is letting those two no goods walk around thinking its okay
Wont be long before Irish people say “we’ve had enough pussy footing around, and we want true, strong and inspiring leadership and representation in Europe!”. By this time it’ll be general election time again and all the failed promises, U-turns, and the down right disregard for the Irish people will be too hard to hide for weakling Edna and co. and they will find themselves out of the dail as fast as they lied to get in!! That and the fact that the Euro is inevitably collapsing, which ever comes first, I’m happy either way. We (Europe) cannot continue like this………and I’m not an economist!
It’s disgusting to see the German Chancellor interfering in Greek Parliamentary elections. “Vote for who we want or we turn off the money tap” it’s as close to rigging an election as you can get. Europe a union of equals where some are more equal than others!
Absolutely spot on Caroline….imperialism is apparently still alive
Agree head of state interfering in another states vote is a disgrace. Shame on Merkel.
I dont thinks it acceptable to be demonising tge German people. Its the political elite in Germany that should be brought to account.
And who keeps merkel in power, the mexicans?
Who keeps Enda Kenny in power?
The labour party.
There has been no opportunity yet for the Irish people to remove enda kenny from power as he is still in his first term as taoiseach.
The time will come TT!
What’s the process to get Enda removed without resorting to a violent revolution?
Dress up in a convincing angela merkel costume and order him to resign. He’ll step down quicker than you can say ‘Ja mein Fuhrer’……
I’m absolutely gobsmacked at the audacity of the German government to interfere on another countries election. “This is the way Germany wants you to vote, if ye don’t, no more lovely Euros for you”. Outrageous!
Isn’t that what they said to us before the last treaty??
Yes indirectly through their lapdogs here ad nauseum!
the Germans should feck off
All of them? Nearly 90 million people?
The German debt tied to failed Irish banks should be told to feck off! Its not the German populace fault that #stopmerkel has elected herself head of the EU!
Easy solution bubye debt or bubye euro!
He doesn’t mean the people Klaus. None of us do. But it’s best for yourselves that you force a change in your Chancellors’ attitude. Easier said than done, I know!
I would like that very much. But we must wait for an election or for enough people to force the politicians to make a change in government. There are not many better alternative leaders. The distance between politicians and people is not so different in Germany as in Ireland.
Angela merkel says “for Europe to thrive(!!????)……….”
LOLOLOLOL
Best gag i’v heard do far.
I can see Merkel stroking her cat ala Après Match……”a nation holds it’s debt”
The problem with most of you is that you’re not German. You don’t really know how they feel when they watch the peripheral Eurozone countries soak up all the cheap money they could get their hands on and then want more to pay off their debts when the commercial markets stop lending to them.
Many of the contributors to these pages plus the Greeks make the situation worse by declaring that these borrowed monies shouldn’t be repaid and after all that you all rant on about these people in a overtly racist way.
It’s quite reasonable to understand the German attitude against the foregoing.
Let’s make it very simple.
Why don’t we reduce all Social Protection payments by twenty percent.
Reduce all Public Service pay by twenty percent.
Reduce spend by twenty percent.
Reduce Public Servant numbers by twenty percent.
Now stop all your pathetic grumbling about Angela…..we don’t need her money any more! SIMPLES…………..thssssssssk!
Didn’t Germany get some nice big right downs themselves not too long ago. They would do well to remember this especially when it comes to Grease. Funny how we choose to forget our history.
Reduce our liability for the bank debt to zero while you’re at it Richard.
Think you might find that has more or less happened Richard. Richard just a quick question were do you think the money borrowed is being returned to?
that’s exactly what should have happened.
The 3 of them can go and f**k off: Merkel, the euro and the EU.
Oh, I forgot Juncker.
Greece to Germany piss off
All the lefties & Shinners practically baying for the melt down!! The result of the first greek vote saw Billions more stripped from the country. Syriza has proven like Sinn Fein to be long on rhetoric and short on logic. It’s sad how many fall for the utopian lie…
It’s not a Utopian lie…….it’s a grab for power at any cost and reheard less of the damage caused to society at large. They see themselves as revolutionaries in a world that has long since passed them out but fear and ignorance on the part of many disguise the hand covered snarl and the foetid breath that comes with o long dead cause.
Unfortunately Caroline your Parliament voted overwhelmingly (including Sinn Fein) to convert the Bank debt into sovereign debt. Following this we had to seek financial assistance from our friends and YOU are currently living off that reality while tossing abuse at everyone else. Which part of this do you misunderstand or need help with. The Bank debts and the Bondholders were all paid long ago. It’s now just us and the IMF together with our EU friends.
Guess what……..the markets still won’t lend to us next year because the EU has become somewhat more unstable. In these circumstances I think you might warn to be nice to Angela!
Still need help?
I guess Richard your not aware that before the end of this month ! billion euro is going to be paid to unsecured senior bond holders? Sleep on Richard sleep on.
The real problem is that the Germans believed they were lending to honourable people who behaved responsibly. What they didn’t know is that short term or overnight funds were being used by Irish bankers fro long term lending to fuel a fire. There was immorality involved by the bankers rather than illegality and we are now where we are!
Your good friends in the German banks were also up to their necks in portfolio loan products, credit default swaps and other dubious derivative investments so please do not portray the “Germans” (and by that I mean their banks) as honourable, decent lenders screwed by unscrupulous, thieving smaller countries as such naivety/selectivism is breathtaking in its lack of connection to the real world. Private debts are not, nor ever should be the business of government or the general population.
Question to the Germany bashers.
Would you use any savings you might have to lend to the Greek government?
Or borrow money to lend to the Greek government?
And if you did would you care what they spent it on and would you be interested in ensuring you got it back?
That’s about the most sensible question asked for ages……..do u believe you’ll get a response?
In fairness the German banks along with a lot of others lent to Greece. So basically what are you asking? Something along the line why did the Banks in Germany lend so much to Greece?
Kerry – you’re right, they did. And they have already taken fairly lumpy losses on that ( as has the German govt itself).
But is it unreasonable now for a lender to a very risky borrower to care what happens the money?
If so, isn’t the reasonable alternative simply not to lend and then down goes Greece again?
I don’t understand what it is that Greece itself wants or what the majority of posters on this board want. Unlimited and unconditional truck-loads of cash?
Now that’s Utopia.
Quote of the day: “Solidarity is not a two way street.”
two world wars and millions die for german politicians desire to run europe….today history is repeating itself only its herr merkel turn to try take over europe. this time rather than a land grab its a economy grab and using a single currency to achieve the goal…. france are the poodle again as before and the uk hold onto their independence and not be dictated to by either germany or france…… be afraid…….
@ Martin Smith – comparing Germany’s actions in this crisis to their actions during WW2? What a stupid comment. Go learn your history!
Mark , your elected Government together with all Parties except Labour but including Sinn Fein made those Banking debts sovereign.
Unless you wish to deny this fact you need to face it and build a bridge…….
You might know the great flashback sequence in Casablanca where Rick, Ilsa and Sam are together in a cafe in Paris. The atmosphere is festive. Champagne corks pop. Sam plays the piano. It is as if nothing bad is really going to happen.
War? What war? Maybe it is all just a cruel trick?
But soon we hear the first rounds of the approaching artillery. “That’s the new German 77s,” explains Rick, “and judging by the sound only 35 miles away”. Suddenly it is real. Time to pack some bags and rush for the last train out of the city.
Now, let’s come back to the present day in Athens.
Last Friday I met a great guy named Georgios thru a new tourism scheme called This is my Athens. Everywhere we went people were having a great time. Lots of laughter accompanied by the crack-&-fsst of beer cans being opened.
Crisis? What crisis?
I said as much to Georgios. He agreed. Everything seems so normal. No panic, no worried looks, no packed suitcases. It is not that people are carefree or reckless. It is just that the endgame is still so unknown. But, we are coming close.
The boom of the approaching guns is starting to be heard.
How will the people react? We will know tomorrow.
Reports from Athens at http://blog.likeplace.ie/
If Greece leaves the euro , poor old Germany might be needing a bailout themselfs !!!
the headline sounds like Nazi Germany
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