FRANKFURT (MNI) – Eurogroup President Jean-Claude Juncker ruled out
a Greek exit from the Eurozone before the end of autumn, according to
excerpts of an interview with German television station WDR released
Tuesday.
Asked if he would categorically rule out a Greek exit, Juncker
replied: “Certainly not before the autumn, and still not even then.”
Juncker said that while a Greek exit could be managed by the
Eurozone, it still carried serious risks.
“From today’s perspective, it would be a manageable event. But that
does not mean it is a desirable event, because it would carry major
risks, especially for the common people in Greece,” Juncker said.
Juncker lamented the tone of the discussion on both sides – Greece
and Germany – and warned that European integration remains a “highly
fragile story” as a result.
Many Germans “speak of Greece as if it were a people undeserving of
respect. This is not the case,” Juncker said. Meanwhile the Greek press
“treat the [German] chancellor as if she were the late heir of the
Nazis.”
— Frankfurt bureau: +49 69 720 142; email: ccermak@marketnews.com —
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