The Best of GRReporter
flag_bg flag_gr flag_gb

Dijsselbloem to Varoufakis: You just killed the Troika

31 January 2015 / 21:01:26  GRReporter
3109 reads

During the last seconds of the press conference Varoufakis said: "Our government will strive for the best possible understanding with the legitimate institutions of the eurozone, the EU and the IMF. But we are not planning to cooperate with a three-member committee, aiming to implement a programme based on what we believe is an anti-European logic, a committee, which even the European Parliament believes is standing on rotten soil."

At this point the translation slowed down a little whereupon Dijsselbloem took his headphones off and, making a face, turned to the Greek finance minister saying something. Both men rose, Varoufakis extended his hand, and after a slight delay the Dutchman also reached out for a quick handshake, and whispered something. What he said according to those present was, "You just killed the Troika". Varoufakis responded by saying something like "Wow!", and the two men walked away without any further exchanges.

Meanwhile, European media have commented widely on the Athens meeting.

"Conflict in Athens: the Greek Finance Minister showed the door to the Troika": this is the title the German magazine Spiegel put on an article sifting through the results of the meetings the Eurogroup President Jeroen Dijsselbloem held in Athens. The magazine concludes that the Greek government has changed its opinion and denies cooperation with the Troika, rejecting the policy of austerity.

British newspaper The Guardian has quoted its correspondent in Athens, Helena Smith: "Jeroen Dijsselbloem’s visit in Athens has ended after Varoufakis froze him with his pronouncements about the troika. The Dutchman looked angry as he bent forward and whispered something in Varoufakis’ ear, and the Greek minister did not answer. A ministry of finance employee who stood right behind me, just said "Oh my God." Someone else said, "I wonder if it isn't time to pack up and go." During the press conference, one could feel the charged atmosphere. "

The publication of the French Le Soir entitled, ''The tension between Greece and the Eurogroup grows'', describes the negative vibes between the two men and talks about the collapse of the Athens stock exchange in the wake of the meeting.

www.protothema.gr

On Friday evening, in an interview for BBC2’s Newsnight, Yanis Varoufakis attributed public repercussions of the episode with Dijsselbloem to a mistranslation of his own words.

However, Varoufakis reiterated what he had said before the Eurogroup president: the Greek government was not intending to talk with the Troika’s representatives. There was no shortage of tension during the interview, and a point was reached where the finance minister asked the hostess, Emily Maitlis, to stop interrupting him "impolitely". He accused British channels' reporters in Athens of misrepresentation. Varoufakis said his government was ready to talk with the IMF, the ECB and each EU member state. He described the Troika as having two levels: one institutional, with which the Greek government is prepared to negotiate; and a second level, that of the bailout monitors who "are good people and I have nothing against them". But these monitors have pursued an inapplicable programme that does not produce any results.

Tags: Jeroen Dijsselbloem Yannis Varoufakis meeting in Athens press conference Troika Eurogroup
SUPPORT US!
GRReporter’s content is brought to you for free 7 days a week by a team of highly professional journalists, translators, photographers, operators, software developers, designers. If you like and follow our work, consider whether you could support us financially with an amount at your choice.
Subscription
You can support us only once as well.
blog comments powered by Disqus