Europe's financial problems could turn into a Greek tragedy for Germany after calls for a boycott of German-manufactured goods
The Greeks are outraged after what they consider an insult, and a consumers’ association has said it wants people to stop buying German items.
WHAT HAPPENED?
The protest is directed against the cover of German 'Focus' magazine, which has a picture of Venus sticking up his middle finger accompanied with the words 'Cheaters in the Euro family'.
“We demand the German government condemn this most inappropriate publication,” said Giorgos Lakouritis, President of the Greek Consumer Institute. “The Greeks are no cheaters”.
The association has distributed fliers in the centre of Athens, including outside a store of the German electronics chain Media Markt.
“The distortion of a statue of Greek history, beauty and civilization, dating from a time when they [the Germans] were eating bananas on trees, is inexcusable and unacceptable,” reads the flier.
HOW BAD COULD THE THREATENED BOYCOTT BE?
German companies should be able to cope with it. In 2009 they shipped €6.66 billion worth of goods to Greece, just 0.8 per cent of total German exports.
The automobile industry would suffer the most. Cars and parts worth €1.08 billion were sold to Greece last year. The next biggest group of exports to be hit would be pharmaceutical products worth €686.2 million.
Political relationships are being increasingly strained through the argument over European and German aid to highly indebted Greece.
Germany's ambassador to Greece, Wolfgang Schultheiss, has already deplored Focus’ front page picture and has declared that Germany is on Greece’s side.
“The ambassador’s statement isn’t enough.” said Lakouritis. “When you have friends like this, who needs enemies?”
But Greece is far from innocent when it comes to insults – recent Nazi references made by the Greeks have caused a furore.
Greek Vice-President Theodoros Pangalos recalled the Nazi occupation of his country during World War II: "They [the Nazis] took away the Greek gold that was in the Bank of Greece, they took away the Greek money and they never gave it back…!"
Prime Minister Giorgos Papandreou also said that Germany has never paid compensation for Second World War crimes.
MEETING IN BERLIN
But the leader is now attempting to smooth things over. He told parliament on Friday that his country will at present not demand any reimbursements from Germany.
To talk about such payments now could easily be seen as a further sign of the country’s weakness and as an attempt to “evade our responsibilities”.
It has now known that Papandreou will come to Germany on March 5 after being invited by German Chancellor Angela Merkel (55, CDU). The heads of the two governments want to talk about the arguments between their countries.
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