“I take on the responsibility of signing a document I don’t believe in.”
That was one of the few phrases that Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said during an interview on Tuesday, which left an impression on some of Germany’s biggest media outlets.
During his extensive interview, Tsipras defended the deal he brokered but also accused certain Eurozone countries of exerting extreme pressure on Greece.
“The result of the Euro Summit and the Eurogroup was the result of a strong pressure on a country, which had democratically expressed itself, to satisfy the more financially powerful countries in Europe. That is the truth,” he said during the interview.
The Greek PM also spoke about German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble’s plan for a temporary Grexit, which Tsipras said would have very negative implications on the country.
German media widely commented on Tsipras’ criticism of the deal as well as the German administration and its intentions during the negotiations.
Among the more vocal denouncers of the interview was an opinion piece by Olaf Gersemann in German newspaper Die Welt, accusing Tsipras of being a left-wing populist who always asks but never gives. He stressed that Tsipras disqualified himself as a partner.
German tabloid Bild noted Tsipras’ disbelief in the deal, just a few hours after agreeing to it, but also his commitment to carry it out in spite of his sentiment toward it.
Financial newspaper Haandelsblaat noted that Tsipras’ comments throughout the interview indicate that he is expecting his administration to fall. Interestingly, the title of the paper’s main article is “This Europe Does not Belong to Mr. Schaeuble,” something that the Greek PM said during the interview.
Focus, a weekly magazine, also emphasized the fact that Tsipras claims he does not believe the deal he signed. The magazine also noted that his comments and approach during the interview changed after the phone rang.
On Wednesday, German Deputy Finance Minister Jens Spahn had criticised Tsipras’ comments for potentially hampering the process and compromising trust.
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