German media continued to focus on the Greek debt issue this week, forecasting that new German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz has his work cut out for him in the post-memorandum period for the east Mediterranean country.
According to a Die Welt headline, “Suddenly, Greece doesn’t want any more money from Europe,” adding in its online edition that a portion of German citizens continue to believe that billions in aid by European partners fund an “easy life” for Greek citizens.
In the same report, however, Welt says the situation in the country over the last eight years is completely different: high unemployment, rising poverty and a state that has turned over a large part of its sovereignty to creditors.
Handelsblatt, meanwhile, headlined an article stating that Scholz “should tell Germans the truth over the Greek rescue”.
“From the very first day he assumed (the post of German finance minister), an unpleasant discussion is nearing ever closer to Scholz: How he’ll handle Athens’ debt? While Wolfgang Schauble constantly delayed, Scholz must provide an answer. This was also a promise to Greece.”
