Until recently, German Chancellor Angela Merkel was the most unpopular foreign politician in Greece, but the refugee crisis brought together Germany and Greece, says German newspaper Handelsblatt.
From the “Go back, Mrs. Merkel” Alexis Tsipras was shouting in his election campaign, now the Greek prime minister always turns to the German chancellor for help. The mutual, humanitarian stance the two politicians held during the refugee crisis, has brought them closer together, the report says.
Even the austere Wolfgang Schaeuble noted a “frightening lack of solidarity European partners showed against Greece” and saw that there is room for easing the tough measures creditors ask from Greece on insurance fund and fiscal targets during this “difficult situation,” as he called it.
For a long time Berlin regarded the economic crisis in Greece and the refugee influx as two completely separate issues. In the meantime it became clear to many that these issues are interrelated. Tsipras hopes that Berlin will give Athens some leeway on the implementation of the austerity required by the bailout agreement.
On the refugee front, Merkel is the only ally Tsipras has in Europe. The German chancellor’s support is crucial now that European Union member states have shut their borders to refugees and Greece is bearing the burden of thousands of stranded refugees, the report continues.
People close to the Greek prime minister say that he often calls the German Chancellor on the telephone to discuss current issues, adding that there is an open channel of communication between the two state leaders.
In a recent television interview, Tsipras defended Merkel’s policy on the refugee issue calling the criticism against her as “unfair”. Even government friendly Avgi newspaper that was holding an anti-German stance for years, now calls Merkel the “guardian angel of refugees,” the Handelsblatt report says.
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