German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble, a hardliner insisting on harsh austerity measures in Greece in return for international aid – much of it supplied by his country – said Greece will never reparations for damage inflicted by the Nazis in World War II despite a report which found Germany owes 154 billion euros ($201.6 billion).
A secret report prepared by the Greek Finance Ministry, and reported by To Vima newspaper, said that Greece is owed 108 billion euros ($141.5 billion) for damage to infrastructure and 54 billion euros ($70.8 billion) or a loan that the Nazi occupation forces obliged Greece to take in order to pay Berlin during the war.
“The issue was settled a long time ago. Paying reparations is out of the question,” Schaeuble said according to reports in the media. The reparations are equivalent to about 80 percent of Greek Gross Domestic Product (GDP.) “I deem that such statements are irresponsible,” Schauble was quoted as saying. “Instead of misleading the people in Greece it would be better to show them the road to reforms.”
Greek Foreign Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos brushed off Schaeuble’s remarks. “The reforms being carried out in Greece bear no relation – and can bear no relation – to the issue of German reparations,” he said in a statement, adding that the Greek state has been raising the issue for many years.
“Whether this case has been resolved or not is determined by international justice, given that, by its nature, this issue concerns international law and the international justice organs,” Avramopoulos said. “Greece is not ‘losing its focus’ on the reform policy, despite the great sacrifices the Greek people are shouldering,” he added.
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