Once a Greek always a Greek

Yesterday Mr Tsipras accepted an invitation from Angela Merkel to join her in Berlin to talk with each other rather than about each other.

Mrs Merkel wanted to hear details of the Greek Governments plans for economic reform. As a condition for the last round of the rolling bailout plan the Greeks were required to outline their plans. The next rolling instalment is due mid-April and the Germans are saying that the money will not be released without seeing details. The total level of Greek debt does not change, every seven weeks or so a mini-instalment is due for repayment, for which embarrassingly Greece needs a loan to cover. Previously transparent, but now a painful process.

At the news conference following the meeting both parties expressed their mutual concern for the plight of the average Greek people, reducing unemployment, youth unemployment, and poverty. Noticeably what was not said was the differences in either sides ways of achieving those aims. What we also did not hear were the previously missing details.

Interestingly what we did indeed hear from Mr Tsipras was the first public statement of Greeces concern for the return of funds misappropriated from Greek banks during their WWII occupation. Note, this is not a regurgitated claim for war damages (reparation, or compensation - as has been erroneously reported elsewhere). Greece along with the rest of the World signed off on that decades ago, otherwise a war torn German economy would never be able to repay its debts. On this note a substantial response from Mrs Merkel was also absent.

Germany’s reticence to discuss repaying the stolen funds is understandable from the perspective that the War ended 70 years ago and many feel disconnected from it in the sense that it had nothing to do with them. Further the current German leader’s East German roots should not be forgotten. The Easterners were taught that the former Fascist German regime had nothing to do with their modern Communist system.

Unfortunately for Germany no-one is re-writing the history books, and the country remains responsible for the Second World War.