German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble stated on Monday that Europe won’t abandon the Greek people and that the assumption of the EU presidency is a great opportunity for the country. According to the German politician, the EU presidency will offer Greece identity, self confidence and also pride.
In a pre-release of an interview that will be published in the popular German newspaper Bild on Tuesday, Schaeuble said, “The presidency will show the Greek people that Europe is its future.”
The German Minister rejected the option that Greece would use the EU presidency in order to negotiate with its foreign creditors, saying that the only people responsible for the supervision of the reforms are the Troika, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Schaeuble also excluded any new cut of Greece’s debt, but he implied possible further aid.
“We’ll decide in the middle of the year if we have to help Greece further. If the country sticks to its course of reforms, if it fulfills the necessary conditions, we won’t turn our back on it,” he said.
The current aid program will expire in July 2014. However, according to Yiannis Stournaras, the Greek Minister of Finance, Greece won’t need a new package.
Schaeuble made these supportive and optimistic comments after a shooting was made at the German Ambassador’s house in Chalandri, northern Athens, by unknown attackers.
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