Merkel did not push referendum idea, says witness
German Chancellor Angela Merkel asked Greek President Karolos Papoulias what he thought of the idea of holding a referendum on Greek membership in the euro but did not push it, a journalist who said he overheard their conversation wrote on Saturday.
A Greek government spokesman said Merkel raised the idea in a telephone call on Friday but Berlin swiftly denied that.
The incident reignited anti-Merkel sentiment in debt-laden Greece where many accuse the German leader of exacerbating the crisis by being slow to act and then demanding austerity measures that are too tough.
A Merkel spokeswoman said on Saturday there was «no truth to reports» the German leader urged Greece to hold a referendum but declined to give details of what had been discussed.
Paul Ronzheimer, a reporter with Germany's Bild newspaper, wrote on Saturday that he was in the same room as Papoulias in Athens just as he took the call from Merkel.
Ronzheimer said he heard Papoulias speaking fluent German to Merkel as they discussed the idea. He did not specify if he had overheard Merkel's side of the conversation as well.
"She wanted to talk to him about a possible referendum on the euro - the idea came up a few days ago from a meeting of European Union finance ministers,» wrote Ronzheimer, who was accompanying European Parliament President Martin Schulz to the meeting with Papoulias, in a report published on Saturday.
"Merkel wanted to know what Papoulias thought of the idea - he rejected it,» the Bild journalist wrote.
German officials have said Merkel conveyed her hope for a functioning government in Greece after repeat elections on June 17. Germany is the largest single contributor to the Greek rescue efforts. [Reuters] |
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Merkel may not have " pushed " the referendum idea , but she brought it up - and sly President Papoulias has a witness to the call .......
http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_wsite1_20945_19/05/2012_442837
Referendum hint by Merkel fuels debate [UPDATE]
PM tries to stop rumors, finmin sources say matter wasn't raised at Ecofin
Greece's caretaker Prime Minister Panayiotis Pikrammenos on Saturday sought to curb speculation about the purported suggestion by German Chancellor Angela Merkel that Greece hold a referendum, in parallel to June 17 elections, to gauge the extent to which its people want to remain in the euro zone.
"This issue was exhausted yesterday,» Pikrammenos told reporters during a break between meeting his ministers. «What is important now, and what we need to focus our attention on, is the EU leaders' summit on Wednesday,» he said.
Meanwhile Finance Ministry sources indicated that the idea of a referendum being held in Greece had not been broached during the latest Ecofin summit attended by former Minister Filippos Sachinidis.
Officials in Merkel's office insisted that the chancellor had not proposed a referendum during a telephone conversation with Greek President Karolos Papoulias on Friday. Sources indicate that the idea had merely been touched upon in discussions and not presented as proposal.
A statement issued late Friday by government spokesman Dimitris Tsiodras noted that Merkel had “conveyed some thoughts” about a possible referendum during a telephone conversation with Papoulias in which she emphasized Europe’s determination to help Greece emerge from the crisis. The statement added however that holding such a referendum does not fall within the powers of the country’s caretaker government.
The news rankled party leaders on Friday. The leader of the Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA), Alexis Tsipras, accused Merkel of treating Greece like a “protectorate.» Conservative New Democracy chief Antonis Samaras, for his part, said, “The Greek people do not need a referendum to prove their choice to stay in the eurozone.” Socialist PASOK stated that “referendums fall exclusively within the competencies of the government and the Greek Parliament and not the EU or other member states.” Former PASOK leader and ex-Premier George Papandreou had proposed just such a referendum in October, provoking the anger of Merkel and other EU leaders and, soon after, the collapse of his Socialist government.
The uproar over Merkel’s supposed intervention came as speculation about Greece’s future in the eurozone peaked. A senior European official indicated on Friday that the European Commission and European Central Bank are working on fallback scenarios for a possible Greek euro exit -- a report promptly refuted by both the EC and ECB -- while the country’s debt problems were said to be topping the agenda of talks at the annual G8 summit of the world’s most powerful leaders.
US President Barack Obama and French President Francois Hollande both expressed their conviction late Friday that action must be taken to ensure Greece remains in the eurozone. |
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ekathimerini.com , Friday May 18, 2012 (16:23)
and....
http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_wsite1_1_19/05/2012_442888
ND leader challenges Tsipras to TV debate
Leftist leader said to be positively disposed to the invitation
The leader of conservative New Democracy Antonis Samaras on Saturday proposed a televised debate with the head of the Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA), Alexis Tsipras, in the week running up to general elections on June 17.
The proposal by Samaras, whose party placed first in the May 6 polls but far short of a majority, was relayed by ND spokesman Yiannis Michelakis during an interview with Vima FM radio station.
Sources in SYRIZA's camp indicated that Tsipras would be open to a debate though it remained unclear whether this would be a head-to-head between Samaras and Tsipras or a debate involving the leaders of all the main parties or both.
Since the inconclusive May 6 polls, SYRIZA has been leading in most opinion polls though the most recent survey, carried out by polling firm Marc, showed ND to have inched ahead slightly of the leftist party which has called for a revocation of Greece's debt deal with foreign creditors. Samaras has long proposed a renegotiation of the terms, a stance that was recently also adopted by socialist PASOK.
PASOK's spokeswoman Fofi Gennimata on Saturday issued a statement condemning Samaras for making the overture to Tsipras after having consistently refused a similar invitation by PASOK leader Evangelos Venizels ahead of the May 6 polls.
and...
http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_wsite1_1_18/05/2012_442825
Ankara warns against Cyprus drilling
Turkey issued a warning on Friday that if companies seeking a license to drill for oil deposits off Cyprus do not withdraw their bids, they “will not be included in energy projects in Turkey in the future,” according to reports.
“We call on the countries concerned and the oil companies to act with common sense, not to engage in activities in maritime fields that are under dispute... and to withdraw from the bidding,” the statement from the Turkish Foreign Ministry said, adding, “Turkey will not allow any activity in these fields.”
Ten consortia and five companies from 15 countries have submitted bids to drill for gas and oil off the coast of the divided island. According to Ankara, some of the 12 fields in question “conflict” with Turkey’s continental shelf, while others overlap areas that Turkey and the Turkish-occupied north of Cyprus plan to explore.
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