Schaeuble: Support for now and money maybe later

"We will support you for now so that you implement the program, and disburse money later if you achieve your goals." That was the message by German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble in his yesterday visit to Athens.

He also departed from his usually rigid positions and talked about the occupation loan, excluding the question of reparations, and transferred any decisions to the near future.

His attitude did not disappoint the Greek side which was prepared for it, as it is aware that Berlin is in an intensive pre-election period and that with these placements the German Minister addressed the voters of his country as well.

Schaeuble, who met with Greek premier Antonis Samaras and government vice president Evangelos Venizelos, explained that the aim of his visit was to express respect for Greece’s efforts ade to address its problems. "We trust and support Greece," he said.

Asked if he discussed potential new measures with his Greek counterpart, he replied negatively. "I'm not the Troika nor a professor on a pulpit to preach on Greece. The necessary decisions for the fourth quarter will be taken when Troika completes its work."

Barring once again any debate of a new haircut on the Greek debt, and noting that such discussion is harming Greece, Schaeuble said that potential new aid for Greece could be discussed for the following year, when the program implemented in the country will be completed. He added that reaching the target for a primary surplus is a prerequisite for further aid.

Schaeuble was less rigid on the issue of the WWII occupation loan. "We Germans know that we have an ongoing responsibility for the biggest crisis that befell European history with the dictatorship of Hitler's Nazis," he replied to a relevant question. "We need to see what happened in Greece and process that season. But this is quite a separate matter from that of German reparations, which was settled by the agreement of London."