The German debt from the “forced” loan Greece had to give to the occupation forces was 13.5 million gold liras, an amount that was then described as “free credit,” with the express commitment to be returned after the end of the war. It never was.
Today, 79 years later, together with interest, it stands at between 60-70 billion euros ($78.6-$91.7 billion) according to a secret report prepared by the Greek Finance Ministry, the newspaper To Vima has reported. The case was transferred from the Deputy Minister of Finance Christos Staikouras to the Foreign Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos, who moved it to the Legal Council of State.
The story has been picked up by international media, including the German Der Spiegel and The Daily Telegraph in London. Der Spiegel said the overall amount Germany owes in reparations is 162 billion euros, ($212.445 billion) including 108 billion euros ($141.63 billion) for the reconstruction of the damaged infrastructure and 54 billion euros ($70.81 billion) for the occupation loan Greece was forced to give in the period from 1942 to 1944.
A German law professor, Norman Paech stressed that the Greek claims have not been written off and that the Greek government should go after the money, something Prime Minister Antonis Samaras is reluctant to do because Germany is the biggest contributor to $325 billion in two bailouts from international lenders which is propping up the battered Greek economy.
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