When Greece is spending other nations' money

Groucho



Joined: 26/04/2008
Posts: 7993

Message Posted:
29/01/2012 08:51

it will not allow itself to be monitored.... Remind anyone of a truculent child?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16777322

Greek officials have reacted angrily to a leaked German proposal for an EU budget commissioner with veto powers over Greek taxes and spending.

The Greek government said it must remain in control of its own budget.

The European Commission says it wants to reinforce its monitoring of Greek finances.

BBC

Cheating beggars can't be choosers is my motto!

quackers


Joined: 02/03/2010
Posts: 179

Message Posted:
29/01/2012 09:54

buy them some batteries for their calculators

deputydawg


Joined: 30/03/2010
Posts: 1727

Message Posted:
29/01/2012 10:03

I am sure you are absolutely right that there should be control but I do understand why they might feel uncomfortable with a German control freak being nominated. It needs an independent person experienced in high finance so why do they not nominate Nick Leeson ? He knows how to accrue capital.

dizzycows


Joined: 12/05/2009
Posts: 2736

Message Posted:
29/01/2012 10:35

Dont forget the Greek v German is still very much alive in Greece ...



Dont think they want a German running their budget! Any other country in the EU, but not Germany.



They have long memories regarding the last war! They would see it as 'a take over' with out a fight ....

yrret


Joined: 17/08/2010
Posts: 761

Message Posted:
29/01/2012 10:56

The thing is the greeks know they are dealing with a bunch of week useless eurocrats.

They know they were let in under a mountain of lies, they kow they aren't going to pay the full consequences, and they know the idiot in Brussesl will kepp lending them cash to save their own faces.

The Greek may as well stand their ground, it will be theb EU backing down in the end.

fiendishpaul


Joined: 18/05/2008
Posts: 1720

Message Posted:
29/01/2012 18:07

Hasn't the TRNC been doing the same for the past 37 years ??

girne 29


Joined: 06/12/2007
Posts: 1488

Message Posted:
30/01/2012 00:44

Dizzycows



Who said it was a German control freak .Whats his name, I cant seem to get the info you have.



and who is kidding who ,the only reason there is support on here for the Greeks is because its a backdoor way of getting at the Germans .last month it was the French who were the whipping boy.



and ''They have long memories regarding the last war!'' . Dont think its the Greeks that have that problem.

and its nothing to do with the war but everything to do with the peacetime economic differences between Germany and us.

newscoop


Joined: 23/12/2007
Posts: 2197

Message Posted:
30/01/2012 07:03

Strange that;



I've been all over Greece and the islands and there is massive resentment of the master race over WW2.



I suppose it was the Brits who supplied the posters and cartoons depicting Merkel as a nazi.

Groucho



Joined: 26/04/2008
Posts: 7993

Message Posted:
30/01/2012 07:49

I was on holiday in Greece and was treated like royalty... (can't think why!) but as soon as I befriended a couple of young Germans, complete opposite.... they would not serve me so much as a cup of coffee.... I somehow got the impression that there was indeed a level of animosity. But and it's a big one... if Germans are paying then they will have a say - it's the way of the world - and if it's not then the world has gone even more insane.

ilovecyprus


Joined: 08/05/2007
Posts: 2880

Message Posted:
30/01/2012 11:49

Greece has been seeking compensation from Germany for war crimes. I believe the Greeks lost a recent court (2011) case in this regard and are extremely angry.



"The slaughter at Distomo was such an outrage that, in 2003, even a German Federal Court judge described it as ‘one of the most despicable crimes of World War II’.

But he refused to grant the families of the victims any compensation for their suffering...

The Distomo massacre is just one example of the terrible suffering endured by the people of Greece during World War II and, some would say, of the German government’s reluctance to pay for the crimes committed against the Greeks in their nation’s name.



Yet, neither the massacres of villagers.... . For the worst Nazi war crimes of all were essentially economic.

Hitler’s troops helped themselves to everything, stealing goods and food to such a degree that hundreds of thousands of Greeks were left destitute and starving. At least 300,000 Greeks died as a result"



David

dizzycows


Joined: 12/05/2009
Posts: 2736

Message Posted:
30/01/2012 12:20

girne29, the resentment in Greece towards Germany is still huge...



The occupation began in 1941, and most Greeks do not like the Germans full stop.



As ilovecyprus states, over 300,000 civilians died in Athens alone and the economy was ruined ...



We went to Greece and in a hotel only a few years back too, just as groucho, a lift with people in it got stuck, and as it came about they were all Germans, we asked when would they be getting some one to sort, the Greek staff just shrugged their shoulders and said 'maybe tomorrow'!!



The resentment is very strong still with Germany, and the civilian population just would not agree to a German or Germany taking control as they see it ...



They will take the EU money but don't want to give back ,...

deputydawg


Joined: 30/03/2010
Posts: 1727

Message Posted:
30/01/2012 14:19

Many Cretans also display the same animosity towards Germans.