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Greece angers Germany in gold row
Malcolm.
Posts: 1,079 Forumite
The war of words steps up a gear....fight!! 
Greek Deputy Prime Minister Theodoros Pangalos has accused Germany of failing to compensate Greece for Nazi occupation during World War II.
Mr Pangalos made the remarks during a wide-ranging BBC interview about Greece's financial difficulties.
"They [the Nazis] took away the Greek gold that was in the Bank of Greece, they took away the Greek money and they never gave it back," he said.
Germany has rejected the allegations, describing them as "not helpful".
Germany has been one of the harshest critics of Greece since it announced that its budget deficit was four times the eurozone limits.
Icy response
Mr Pangalos told the BBC: "This is an issue that has to be faced sometime in the future.
"I don't say they have to give back the money necessarily, but they have to say thanks. And they [the German government] shouldn't complain much about stealing and not being very specific about economic dealings."
Mr Pangalos' comments elicited an icy response from German Foreign Ministry spokesman Andreas Peschke.
"I must reject these accusations," he said.
"A discussion about the past is not helpful at all to solve the problems facing us in Europe today."
In 1960, Germany paid Athens 115m German marks in compensation for the four year long occupation, in which 300,000 Greeks died.
Mr Peschke added: "I'd like to mention that parallel to this, since 1960 Germany has paid around 33bn Deutsche marks in aid to Greece both bilaterally and in the context of the EU."
Earlier this month, an article in Germany's Stern magazine outraged Greece.
The author accused Greeks of frittering away German taxpayers' savings.
Then another German magazine, Focus, further antagonised Athens with a front cover that depicted a statue of the Venus de Milo making an obscene gesture under the title "Greek cheats."
'Offensive' coverage
Following publication of the articles, the German ambassador to Athens, Wolfgang Scultheiss, was summoned to Parliament for a dressing down by the speaker, Filippos Petsalnikos.
The speaker described the German coverage as "offensive" and "surpassing all limits".
The Mayor of Athens, Nikitas Kaklamanis, has also waded into the dispute. "You [Germany] owe us 70bn euros for the ruins you left behind," he said.
The Greek Consumers' Federation has called on shoppers to boycott German goods.
A former foreign minister, Mr Pangalos has a reputation for using undiplomatic language.
His comments are the antithesis of the charm offensive mounted by the Prime Minister, George Papandreou, and his Finance Minister, George Papaconstantinou, in a bid to win European support for Greece.
But Mr Pangalos has his finger on the pulse of Greeks who blame the country's predicament on outside forces such as the financial markets and the European Union.
article from the bbc website.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8536862.stm
Greek Deputy Prime Minister Theodoros Pangalos has accused Germany of failing to compensate Greece for Nazi occupation during World War II.
Mr Pangalos made the remarks during a wide-ranging BBC interview about Greece's financial difficulties.
"They [the Nazis] took away the Greek gold that was in the Bank of Greece, they took away the Greek money and they never gave it back," he said.
Germany has rejected the allegations, describing them as "not helpful".
Germany has been one of the harshest critics of Greece since it announced that its budget deficit was four times the eurozone limits.
Icy response
Mr Pangalos told the BBC: "This is an issue that has to be faced sometime in the future.
"I don't say they have to give back the money necessarily, but they have to say thanks. And they [the German government] shouldn't complain much about stealing and not being very specific about economic dealings."
Mr Pangalos' comments elicited an icy response from German Foreign Ministry spokesman Andreas Peschke.
"I must reject these accusations," he said.
"A discussion about the past is not helpful at all to solve the problems facing us in Europe today."
In 1960, Germany paid Athens 115m German marks in compensation for the four year long occupation, in which 300,000 Greeks died.
Mr Peschke added: "I'd like to mention that parallel to this, since 1960 Germany has paid around 33bn Deutsche marks in aid to Greece both bilaterally and in the context of the EU."
Earlier this month, an article in Germany's Stern magazine outraged Greece.
The author accused Greeks of frittering away German taxpayers' savings.
Then another German magazine, Focus, further antagonised Athens with a front cover that depicted a statue of the Venus de Milo making an obscene gesture under the title "Greek cheats."
'Offensive' coverage
Following publication of the articles, the German ambassador to Athens, Wolfgang Scultheiss, was summoned to Parliament for a dressing down by the speaker, Filippos Petsalnikos.
The speaker described the German coverage as "offensive" and "surpassing all limits".
The Mayor of Athens, Nikitas Kaklamanis, has also waded into the dispute. "You [Germany] owe us 70bn euros for the ruins you left behind," he said.
The Greek Consumers' Federation has called on shoppers to boycott German goods.
A former foreign minister, Mr Pangalos has a reputation for using undiplomatic language.
His comments are the antithesis of the charm offensive mounted by the Prime Minister, George Papandreou, and his Finance Minister, George Papaconstantinou, in a bid to win European support for Greece.
But Mr Pangalos has his finger on the pulse of Greeks who blame the country's predicament on outside forces such as the financial markets and the European Union.
article from the bbc website.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8536862.stm
0
Comments
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well the italians better get ready then paying for their tourists with swords....the romans will be blamed next.Have you tried turning it off and on again?0
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The war of words steps up a gear....fight!!
But Mr Pangalos has his finger on the pulse of Greeks who blame the country's predicament on outside forces such as the financial markets and the European Union.
Lol blame the foreigners, the oldest trick in the book! Stirring up racism isn't going to stop the riots, historically it's been the precursor to wars!0 -
I blame Cain but Adam must have been a nasty fatherNot Again0
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A desperate government with desperate words0
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markharding557 wrote: »A desperate government with desperate words
Was Greek gold nicked by the Nazis' or not though?Not Again0 -
It probably was but note the greeks have only made this an issue now in the midst of crisis in order to deflect their peoples minds elsewhere.0
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The Greeks have never forgiven Germany for WWII occupation - and why should they???0
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Seeing as how everytime I have visited Greece the beaches are heaving with German tourists and the Greeks seem to have no trouble with them when they have money to spend, I think it's a bit lame to get all morally indignant about the war now.0
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The Greek recieved some compensation in the 60's. If they really want more then first they should pay back the billions in grants they have recieved since joining the Euroland.0
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Have we still got the Elgin marbles :eek:'Just think for a moment what a prospect that is. A single market without barriers visible or invisible giving you direct and unhindered access to the purchasing power of over 300 million of the worlds wealthiest and most prosperous people' Margaret Thatcher0
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