Berlin confirms Germany made billions on Greece’s debt crisis

Berlin has been one of the main lenders to Greece during its debt crisis and while conservative parties said that supporting Greece would come at the cost of the German taxpayer, new figures show Germany has made money on the crisis.
According to German newspaper The Local, the German government released figures on Thursday in response to parliamentary question from the Green Party which show that Germany has made €2.9 billion in interest payments on Greek bonds since 2010.
Since 2010 Germany has been buying Greek government bonds as part of an EU deal to prop up the struggling Greek economy. The bonds were bought by the Bundesbank and then transferred to the federal treasury.
Initial agreements with the government in Athens set out that any interest earned on the bonds would be paid back to Greece when it fulfilled its reform obligations.
But the figures published by the government on Thursday show that Germany made €3.4 billion in interest payments on the bonds and only paid Greece €527 million in 2013 and €387 million the following year. That left €2.5 billion in profit, plus interest of €400 million on a loan from the KfW development bank.
The Green party have responded to the figures by calling for debt relief for Greece.
“Contrary to all the myths spread by people on the right, Germany has profited massively from the crisis in Greece,” said Green MP Sven-Christian Kindler.

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At last

Outstanding VAT debts: German “Hochtief” owes €600m to Greek FinMin

Posted by keeptalkinggreece in Economy

An Athens court confirmed Greek government’s tax claims from the giant German constructor Hochtief. According to the court, the Greek government has every right to claim approximately €600million from the company that runs Athens airport “Eleftherios Venizelos”. The company has not paid any Value Added Tax since 2001, that is in more than 20 years that has been running the airport.

According to Greek media, Hochtief is being considered as the biggest tax evader in Greece. The court decisions is (29. Sept 2014) to be implemented immediately and executed by the tax office in charge for Hochtief.

The German company has appealed several times to Greek justice that it is VAT-free citing “special arrangement.” Hochtief’s appeals have been turned down by the Legal Court of the State.

“Together with other outstanding payments, like those to social security funds, it might have to pay more than 1 billion Euros,” notes website Neurope.eu stressing that

 “It must be noted that under the “Troika” austerity programme Greek employees lost around 400 million Euros from cuts to their salaries.”

The court ruling refers to VAT debts up to year 2012. In 2013 and 2014 airport arrivals have increased up to 25%.

Greek government has a long battle with Hochtief over the unpaid VAT, however despite court decisions the Greek Finance Ministry has not proceed to any confiscation measures as it would do with any average Greek company with outstanding VAT debts.

Hochtief, which is the biggest German Construction company, specializing in airports, was also running the Athens International airport through a subsidiary until 2013, when it sold it’s share to a Canadian company.

PS Imagine Financial Crime Units (SDOE), prosecutors and police forces entering EL VEL airport and seizing ticket counters, floor tiles, window glasses and even the airport tower. huh? really scary.

source: http://www.keeptalkinggreece.com/2014/10/01/outstanding-vat-debts-german-hochtief-owes-e600m-to-greek-finmin/

related: http://greeceandworld.blogspot.gr/2013/03/the-end-of-european-union-again.html

France rebels against austerity as Europe's recovery collapses

By Ambrose Evans-Pritchard

France’s finance minister sends tremors through European capitals with a defiant warning that his country would no longer try to meet deficit targets.

German GDP contracted 0.2pc, is France once again stuck at zero and Italy is already in a triple-dip recession

Eurozone strategy is in tatters after economic recovery ground to a halt across the region and France demanded a radical shift in policy, warning that austerity overkill is driving Europe into a depression.

Growth slumped to zero in the second quarter, with Germany contracting by 0.2pc and France once again stuck at zero. Italy is already in a triple-dip recession.

Yields on 10-year German Bunds fell below 1pc for the first time in history, beneath levels seen during the most extreme episodes of deflation in the 19th century. French yields also touch record lows. Much of the eurozone is replicating the pattern seen in Japan as it slid into a deflation trap in the late 1990s.

It is unclear whether tumbling yields are primarily a warning signal of stagnation ahead or a bet by investors that the European Central Bank will soon be forced to launch quantitative easing, buying government bonds across the board.

Michel Sapin, France’s finance minister, sent tremors through European capitals with a defiant warning that his country would no longer try to meet its deficit targets and would not inflict further damage on its economy by tightening into the downturn. “I refuse to raise taxes to close any budget gaps,” he said.

“What is absolutely necessary is to adjust the pace of deficit reduction to the exceptional situation we are in today. Growth is too weak in Europe and inflation is too low. We must therefore stop reinforcing the causes of this depression,” he told RTL television.

“We must face the figures in front of us with realism. The truth is that, contrary to the forecasts of the International Monetary Fund and the [European] Commission, growth has broken down, both in France and in Europe.”

He halved his French growth forecast to 0.5pc this year and to little more than 1pc next year, too weak to stop unemployment hitting fresh highs. The IMF has already warned that there will be no job growth until 2016.

Germany has so far refused to yield any ground on austerity policies but is increasingly vulnerable. Revised data show that the economy has been far weaker than thought over the past two years, falling into a significant double-dip recession last year. Professor Paul De Grauwe, from the London School of Economics, said: “They are victims of their own folly. Germany needs massive investment in its energy sector and it should be doing it now while it can borrow for almost nothing.”

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"In Greece people die and the party of Schäuble calls itself Christian"

Harsh criticism carries the German television network RTL through a publication in its website, by which directly challenges the effectiveness of austerity programs in Greece and criticizing Wolfgang Schaeuble

The effectiveness of austerity programs and the role of the troika in Greece are being questioned by an analysis in the webpage of the German television network RTL.

As columnist says: "Greece is considered as the European patient; the German popular press likes to outline Greeks as lazy people who are left to be saved by the money of German taxpayers, saying that while Greeks are not paying their taxes, are buying property in Berlin. Of course: The Greek elites contributed with their mindset to create this image. However, a look at the current data of the economy and at the state of 'normal' Greek shows that the imposed austerity by the Troika is a disaster for the citizens."

The columnist criticizes an earlier statement of the German Finance Minister, Wolfgang Schaeuble, who had stressed that there is no other excuse for "not to take unpleasant decisions that have to be taken." As the columnist comments: "One thing is clear: In Greece people die because they no longer have money to visit the doctor. And the party of Schäuble calls itself 'Christian'."

The columnist expresses his amazement about the satisfaction expressed by the Troika on the progress of Greek program during its last visit to Athens and said:

"The troika is simply a tool for the complete liberalization of the economy. There is no room for sentiment for the people." The columnist believes that any continuation of harsh austerity measures would be fatal for the country and emphasizes: "As Germany imposed during the crisis between 2008 and 2010 a program to stimulate economic activity, Greece now needs an investment program to maintain and modernize its public infrastructure."

Source: Deutsche Welle

Read more: http://www.newsbomb.gr/global/news/story/480883/in-greece-people-die-and-the-party-of-schäuble-calls-itself-christian#ixzz39WtnLm7s

Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

Paul Craig Roberts

Washington’s plan to seize Ukraine and to evict Russia from its Black Sea naval base has come amiss. But to turn around Lenin’s quote, “two steps forward, one step back.”

Do you remember all the tough talk coming from John Kerry, the White House Fool, Hilary Clinton, and the lickspittle Merkel about the harsh sanctions that would “badly damage” the Russian economy unless Russia prevented the referendum vote in Crimea? Well, it was all bullshit, more hot air from the White House sock puppet and the lickspittle German chancellor who is a disgrace to the German nation. As the Russians kept telling John Kerry, sanctions on Russia would destroy Europe and do little damage to Russia.

I wish the Russians had kept this to themselves. I was looking forward to the Washington morons destroying NATO by closing down the European economy.

Of course, after pretending that they were macho tough guys, something that Washington’s presstitute media could hype as sanctions had to be imposed, so Washington came up with sanctions, not on Russia, but on eleven individuals: the deposed Ukrainian president, an advisor to the deposed president, 2 Crimean officials, and 7 Russians.

The choice of the officials is an utter mystery. The seven Russians are a Putin aid, a Putin adviser, four members of the Russian parliament (Duma) and a deputy prime minister. What any of these people had to do with the referendum in Crimea, no one knows.

Moreover, the sanctions only apply to foreign bank accounts that these 11 individuals might have outside Russia. Most likely, that means only the deposed Ukrainian president, if we are to believe all the propaganda about him. Other reports say that the sanctions are only for the next six months.

If the Washington and EU criminals steal any money from these persons, the Russian central bank can replenish their stolen accounts.

The people who decided that Crimea would disassociate from Ukraine and return to Russia were the people themselves. Under the wording of Obama’s stupid sanctions, his sanctions should apply to the Crimean people who voted to disassociate from the US stooge government in Kiev.

Additionally, Obama’s sanctions apply to himself and to his regime and to its NATO puppets as it was the West that overthrew the elected government of Ukraine, not Russia or Crimea. The Americans, of course, never apply law to themselves.

In other words, the sanctions are totally meaningless. Yet, the White House Fool declared: “If Russia continues to interfere in Ukraine, we stand ready to impose further sanctions.”

Obama’s hypocrisy makes a person want to puke. It is the White House Fool who is interfering in Ukraine. It was Washington that financed and organized the overthrow of the elected Ukraine government, using well organized and well armed neo-nazis to intimidate the unarmed police and ruling party, thus clearing the way for Washington to set up an unelected government of its well-paid stooges.

What the incompetent White House Fool overlooked is that southern and eastern Ukraine are Russian, not Ukrainian, so the fool’s coup has caused Crimea to depart and is causing widespread protests in eastern Ukraine against Washington’s stooge unelected government in Kiev. Washington’s stooge Kiev government has appointed unelected Ukrainian multibillionaire oligarchs, who have their own private security forces, as mayors of the Russian cities to put down the protests. If the oligarchs use violence against the Russian people, the likely result will be that the Russian Army will take control of eastern Ukraine, which in every essential way is Russian.

If eastern Ukraine returns to Russia, Washington will be left with the ultra-nationalists of western Ukraine, people who fought for Hitler during World War 2. The EU doesn’t want ultra-nationalists as the EU is busy stamping out nationalism and the sovereignty of European countries. Nevertheless, Washington will have gained a strategic advantage over Moscow, as Washington can place anti-ballistic missile and other military bases on western Ukraine’s border with Russia, thus completing Washington’s encirclement of Russia with hostile military and missile bases.

Russia will neutralize the US bases by targeting them with Iskander missiles, which cannot be intercepted by ABMs.

All that the White House Fool will have achieved is to further make clear to Russia, and to China, that Washington has both on its target list, because both are in the way of Washington’s world hegemony.

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Ukraine Nazis - Another Country Falls To The Axis

Ukraine's Nazi Uprising

The Ukrainian government's anti-terror police have been disbanded today.

This gives a clue to the real reason this coup was encouraged now, not last year or next year;

In mid-January the Ukraine parliament adopted legislation with a view to curbing the neo-Nazi groups in the protest movement.  The law also sets procedures pertaining to the registration of foreign non-governmental subversive organizations (NGOs) and the categorization of NGOs “financed from abroad” and involved in political activity in Ukraine as “foreign agents” (Reuters, January 16, 2014)

But the law, which ran to more than 100 pages, was directed mainly at preparing the ground for action to end the Nazi-agitated street protests that have been taking place in the capital Kiev and some other cities since November.

On the 19th of February, following the several days of violence, the government instigated an Anti-terrorist Operation.

Alexander Yakimenko, head of Ukraine’s security agency intimated that the riots were being led by radical Neo-Nazi groups involved in “seizing buildings of local authorities, Interior Ministry, Security Service, prosecutor’s offices, military units, ammunition depots. Courthouses are being burnt, vandals are destroying private homes, killing civilians. Only during the last day 1,500 firearms and 100,000 cartridges have been stolen by criminals. website of the SBU

“What is happening today is a conscious use of violence by way of arson, murder, hostage-taking and intimidation … for the sake of pursuing criminal goals… All of that with the use of firearms. These are not just signs of terrorism but concrete terrorist acts.  By their actions, radical and extremist groups bear a real threat to lives of millions of Ukrainians,”,” Alexander Yakimenko, , Ukraine’s security agency chief (SBU), website of the SBU,also quoted in the Los Angeles Times,February 19, 2014),

So the opposition groups appear to have got in there first and overthrown the government, in order to prevent being broken up and imprisoned - and hence they have disbanded the the elite counter-terror force.
In his formal remarks at Munich and a week earlier at the World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov assailed Western governments for supporting neo-Nazi terrorist organizations in their zeal to place Ukraine under European Union and Troika control to tighten the NATO noose around Russia.

If anything, Lavrov understated the case.

Ever since President Viktor Yanukovych announced that Ukraine was withdrawing its plans to sign the European Union's Association Agreement on Nov. 21, 2013, Western-backed organizations made up of remnants of the wartime and immediate postwar Nazi collaborationist Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN-B) and their successors have launched a campaign of provocations aimed at not only at bringing down the government of Prime Minister Mykola Azarov, but at overthrowing the democratically elected President Yanukovych.

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A "gift" to FRAU MERKEL

The Greek Foreign Minister mr Venizelos (nee Turkoglou according to the US Embassy) characterizes as inadequate the report of the task of the Legal Council of the State. This report is about the German debts to Greece (Hellas) and specifically the forced Occupation Loan and the World War I & II Reparations. Questions are raised by the strange delays in moving the case forward.

As it is known, the issue was reopened by Mr. D. Avramopoulos, who as foreign minister, moved methodically to claim the debt under the rules of international law.

The assumption, however, of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by Mr Venizelos (nee Turkoglou according to the US Embassy) suddenly paused all progress. 

While within  short time there was very important progress by the actions and initiatives of Mr. Avramopoulos, Mr. Venizelos not only does not show a similar mobility, but instead follows a delaying tactic in the subject.

A year ago, the Legal Council of State had been entrusted to the drafting finding on the issue of German reparations. It is unknown when the final report was delivered, but was regarded as a closely guarded secret.

There is information that the report was delivered months ago to Mr Venizelos, who however, has not -since now- shown any intention in proceeding to the next stage of the German reparations claim. 

However, pressure was enforced by members of all parties, without exception the New Democracy parliamentarians, about the fate, the content and the findings of the Legal Council of State.

The President of PASOK, to avoid giving clear answers, claimed that the content of the report is secret.

But when rumors started spreading about the impending question tabling in parliament from all the Parliamentary Group of SYRIZA, led by Mr.Tsipras himself, Mr. Venizelos was alarmed and decided to change tactic. Of course, this is not by choosing to take the next step of claiming parliamentary allowances, but to delay the process further. How?

By claiming the findings prepared by the Legal Council of the State as inadequate, which Mr Venizelos remitted to the plenary of the SLC. 

Speaking last night in the House Mr. Venizelos spoke of deficiencies of the findings, noting characteristically that "the findings are not what I would recommend  the Hellenic Republic to follow."

In fact, Mr. Venizelos does not want to annoy Berlin with such an issue, and especially in the pre-election period. His ambition is to take back the issue as far as possible.

Besides this, the issue of German reparations is a ' red flag ' for the Germans and especially to Mr. Schäuble. For the record, the only one who replied to the German Finance Minister was Mr. Avramopoulos, who paid for this reply with his dismissal from the Foreign Ministry.  

READ THE REPORT (IN GREEK) : http://www.scribd.com/doc/211513895/THE-TOP-SECRET-REPORT-OF-THE-LEGAL-COUNCIL-OF-THE-STATE-CONCERNING-THE-GERMAN-OCCUPATION-LOAN

related: 

http://greeceandworld.blogspot.gr/2013/04/herr-schauble-reden-sie-uber-die.html

http://greeceandworld.blogspot.gr/2011/06/instead-of-another-loan-why-not-get-war.html

http://greeceandworld.blogspot.gr/2013/10/albrecht-ritschl-if-germany-paid-war.html

http://greeceandworld.blogspot.gr/2013/05/albrecht-ritschl-germany-is-champion-in.html

http://greeceandworld.blogspot.gr/2012/11/occupation-loan-510-bn-german-debt-to.html

http://greeceandworld.blogspot.gr/2013/04/historical-deposit-what-i-was-told.html

http://greeceandworld.blogspot.gr/2013/04/justice-will-triumph-in-assertion-of.html

Albrecht Ritschl: "If Germany paid war compensations, it would go bankrupt immediately”

19/10/2011 - 09:00
Interview with Isaac Karipidis
Arriving on the fourth floor in one of the buildings of the London School of Economics ...
It is not difficult to find the office of the German professor of economic history, Albrecht Ritschl. Above the door is stuck a card depicting a Piggy-Piggy to swim in the sea, holding in the mouth the Greek flag. Entering the office, the first thing you face is a photocopy of a 200 drachma bill of Rigas Feraios.
Professor Ritsl became known, as he admits, not very popular in his country, because he, through his articles in the British press and through the interviews in German magazines, has essentially argued that the attitude of Germany towards the financial problem in Greece is unacceptable, a position which he expressed even in the magazine Spiegel, which is not ... famous for philhellenic approaches. Indeed, in an interview in the magazine this summer said that if Greece, along with other countries' claims the compensations (note: the Second World War) and Germany is forced to pay, then they’d even get our ... shirts ".According to the professor, the German postwar "miracle" is due to a large extent on the fact that Greece has never claimed reparations from Germany, as others did. "That Germany should not forget," as he said in "Hot".
Professor Ritsl was born in Munich in 1959. He has taught at many different universities in Europe. From Barcelona and Zurich to Berlin. In recent years Professor of Economic History at one of the most popular universities in the financial world, the London School of Economics.

Sir, do you really have anything to do with Greece?
No, no.
How do you explain such a strong Greek presence in your office?
(Laughter.) I have some basic knowledge of Economic History of the 20th century thanks to my profession. Eventually, in an interview they asked me how bad things were in early 1900 - a time which is anyway not far from ours. I asked, then, give a comparison of the problem of Greece with the conditions then prevailing, and thus began my contact with your country.

Your relationship, then, with Greece was inaugurated when the problems started in our country?
(Laughter.) Yes, so it is. It is a coincidence. Unless, of course, the deep relationship that we all have with Greece, which is over 2,000 years. European culture, European course would be completely different without the positive contribution of the Greek spirit. But that's another story ...
Speaking strictly for my relationship with your country, I would say it started because of financial problems and mainly because of how the rest of Europe dealt with them and especially Germany.

Really, how did Germany dealt with them? How do you see the attitude of Germany towards Greece?
I must say that now, these recent weeks, the attitude of Germany has changed. It is not so intransigent and so cumbersome as  It was before.
Today there are two major trends within the country, which collide, even among themselves. One argues that there should be no default in the eurozone. Debts must be paid to the last cent not to expose Europe to international markets. The other "school", the other trend, if you will, which recently gained ground, says it should be restructured debt. According to proponents of this view, there is nowhere in the EU a rule, which impose the full financial support of a country on the verge of bankruptcy. And historically, indeed, this is the way in which the debt of a country goes.

You, as professor of economics, which solution do you favor?
Sir  Karipidis, I must say-and I know that this will not appeal to your readers, it is almost impossible for Greece to pay its debt. The debt of Greece in relation to production is much greater. So the restructuring is almost imperative. I am able also to tell you that within the German government, no longer speak for a large proportion of the debt restructuring of Greece. It is no secret anymore. Moreover, politically speaking, I would say that Greece has never been ready to enter the euro. Before you enter the Eurozone in a system such as the eurozone, you have to develop a strong, modern tax environment. I think the Greek government was not ready to face the difficulties of such a mechanism. This, indeed, we are seeing and experiencing now. Nevertheless, I must say that there is no reason to look back but to see how we deal with the situation together. All countries to cooperate for the common good of the eurozone. To see how we get out from this path, without creating more damage to the global economy.

Often, however, Germany, at least in our eyes, does not seem so minded as you say ...
There you are wrong, sir Karipidis ... The German government several times in the recent past have not acted with the required efficiency. Also, if you look a little old in the history of Germany, we see that this too has its own huge mistakes - not only politically but also economically.

What do you mean?
After the Second World War, Germany left behind a Europe essentially damaged. Furthermore, because of frivolous options, the same over the past century,  has gone bankrupt three times. If it were not for the U.S., which helped financially after the war, and countries such as Greece, which never claimed war damages, now my country would not have the economic power it has. I've said it before and am not afraid to repeat to you, Karipidis: Germany is the biggest sinner in the 20th century and perhaps of modern economic history. My compatriots seem to have selective memory on this issue. If you interpret it psychologically, it's because we always tend to remember only the good side of ourselves. (Laughter.) Nevertheless, it is right to remind my countrymen of historical events, which anyway remain vivid in the minds of people living in other European countries.
You know, for these positions I'm not very popular in my country ... Of course, I must say, as an economist and researcher, and that your country has a large responsibility for the current situation. As people, you spend much more than you produce and your life is not justified by your income.

Really, could Greece today claim reparations from Germany?
Allow me to tell you that this is a purely legal question, to which I will not take place. I know that it has launched a debate among legal circles in Europe -even informally-but I can not have a scientific perspective. I am not a lawyer. This, however, you will say with certainty is that the real issue is not whether Germany owes war reparations to Greece, but that we should all deal with this difficult situation. The point is that Germany must understand that it has its own share of responsibility and must leave the arrogant rhetoric. It should go into more effective and efficient approach to the problem. Germany must not forget that two generations ago was able to stand on its feet thanks to the generous attitude of Western powers, including Greece. It should be stopped, then, to see the solution only with numbers and see it with a more effective and wider political view.

I will not disagree with you on the necessity of immediate treatment of the problem should’ t we, however, look at the agreements signed in the past and have not been met? I refer to the Agreement on German debt was signed in London in 1953.According to this, if a reunification of the two Germanies took place, Germany would have to pay war reparations. Germany was unified in 1990, but compensation is not given ...
It is not such a simple issue ... The agreement says that Germany will pay its debts when it will be reunited and the new state created will be the "legal" successor of the German Empire. Like, say, before the war. It is still not clear whether Germany that emerged after 1990 is the "legal" successor of the German Empire. If it is proven, then the debts of the German Empire are passed in the state of Germany and countries like Greece can claim compensation from either the German courts or even by European courts. The issue is still open. Of course, Germany's view is that the united Germany is not the "legal" successor of the German Empire, and therefore not liable for any damages. I must say, however, that if Germany eventually asked to pay all such damages, not only to Greece but also in the world, then it will go bankrupt immediately. Because the amount that will be charged, will be much higher than the amount that Germany can afford.

Before closing, I would like to ask you what do you think should be done to Greece to come out from this difficult situation.
Look, things are very serious. To be perfectly honest, what is done should be done with great care not to have bad consequences. You should at all costs to avoid riots and strike a final and lasting solution in the least possible impact on the Greeks. The one issue this debt. Personally, I think much of it should be deleted. I am not able to tell you how much, but surely the number is large. The other major issue is that Greece from now on should begin to live with its own resources and not by loans and grants from other countries or the EU. One thing is certain: The years during which Greece was living with borrowed money are gone. From now on, your country faces a painful period to adjust to new, arguably more realistic, and unfortunately, my assessment is that this period will last many years ...

Although you do not sound particularly optimistic, I can only thank you, sir Ritsl for the discussion we had!
Thank you, sir Karipidis, and do not forget that Germany after the war was much worse than what is Greece today!
 
Published in the journal Epikaira: 14/10/2011

Germany - Protector Of Radical Islam

With the current turmoil in the middle-east, and Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood clinging desperately to their new-found power in Egypt, a little history is in order to fully grasp the full picture of what is happening, and why Germany is involving itself with Islam.

The history of modern German colonialism begins with the advent of Bismarck. Although at first preoccupied with the problems of the newly unified German states, he ultimately hastened to satisfy his imperialistic appetite by extending German power abroad. But the Prussian Chancellor's decision to encourage the Reich's penetration of Africa came very late, and Bismarck had to content himself with the residue of the other powers.

The nineteenth century was an age of empire builders, with the scientific and economic might of England and France everywhere expanding. Britain had already occupied Egypt, colonized much of Africa, while France was firmly entrenched in Algeria and Tunisia. Now, with a cautious respect for London, Bismarck attempted to fish in the remaining colonial waters of the African Continent.

With British consent, he managed to establish, in April, 1884, the first German protectorate on the southwestern coast of Africa. Eventually, German East Africa (Tangan-yika), Togoland, and the Cameroons were added to the glory of the Berlin Colonial Office. In 1905, the Reich was eliminated from the arena of colonization by Britain and France, when the latter recognized the establishment of a British protectorate over Egypt, in return for British acknowledgment of a French protectorate over Morocco.

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Albrecht Ritschl: Germany is the champion in war debts

Albrecht Ritsch

Germany had occasionally international preeminence in many sectors: tourism, exports, arts, football. But where is permanently unrivaled  is in the sport of "borrow and return nothing." "Germany is world champion in war debts" reiterated recently the Professor of Economic History Albrecht Ritschl. So far has not paid a dime for its debts during the Second World War. These include the so-called forced loan to the Bank of Greece, the height of which, at current prices is estimated at several billion euros. Thus the expressed will of the Greek government to formally request the repayment of the loan causes headaches in Berlin.  
Government spokesman Steffen Seibert constantly declares that "there is no subject for discussion" βut everyone knows that claims are ahead and that will bring in a strong test the Greek-German relations.

Michael Slecht

The opinions on the reception of such a (Greek) request from the German government are divided. "If Greece requests by legal means its claims, the German government will accept it" supports the spokesperson of the parliamentary party Left (Die Linke) supports the parliamentary party spokesperson Left (Inter LINK) Michael Slecht.

Just opposite is the opinion of Mr. Ritschl ιn the following interview. Α "yes" to Greece, he says, would force Germany to pay reparations to other countries - victims of the second world war. But this is ruled out. This allows the Germans to remain world champions in unpaid debts.

interview to NIKOS CHEILAS

Manolis Glezos asked Wolfgang Schäuble to discuss with the Greek government the issue of German war debts. Do you think that he will?

Ι would be surprised if he did. This would mean that Germany would abandon the far proven tactics of denial. Just a few days ago also Schäuble described the raising of the issue a distraction from the main current problems.

To what, could Greece hope, if the necessary negotiations took place?

The honest answer is, i am afraid, to nothing. Germany will not accept debate, because if it starts it is not going to stop - soon will come claims from other countries. The view of Helmut Kohl that prevailed generally after the reunification of Germany was that it is impossible to "sell" the reparations to the German population and that if this was done would cause as after the First World War, more harm than good. The best for him was the continuation of the economic and political cooperation in Europe.

The German historian Götz Aly places the occupation loan in the general war debts of the defeated country. Is this correct?

In Article E ʹof the Treaty of London from 1953 it was determined that the Second World War debts of Germany - including the occupation loan - and the reparations will be dealt at a conference after the German reunification. The so called 2 + 4 pact between the two German states and the four victorious powers of  in 1990 says nothing about debts and reparations. From this stems the legal view of Germany that everything is solved since.

Were there forced loans by other occupied countries?

Given the aggressiveness of the Third Reich foreign policy, the question that must be asked is: was ever given voluntarily loans to the Nazis from occupied countries?

Götz Aly also argues that much of the war reparations come from the gold of the Jews of Thessaloniki. Do the descendants have claims on this gold?

The looting of gold and especially that of the Jews had been assigned to special German units. For Thessaloniki, I do not know exactly the issue. But generally I know that the Nazi regime was charged the expenditures for the extermination of Jews to their home countries. One such example is the transport of τηε French Jews to Auschwitz that was charged to the French State. After the war, however, Germany, without recognizing its debt to reparations, paid individual compensation through state organizations and institutions.

How can the reparations be calculated ? Only by the winners of the war, or in collaboration with the losers?

Such remedies have been since antiquity a counterweight of the losses of the winners. The decisive case in Germany was the decision of the allies prematurely to terminate the process of reparations and to put in place the cooperation of European countries with Germany. Having eliminated the burden of reparations and debts, the economy and the currency became so healthy and Germany became an export country. By doing so, Germany, brought forth surpluses in Europe, not through the coercive street of reparations but through the accumulation of surpluses in foreign trade and the creation of large property abroad. This season we are experiencing -among other- the depreciation of an important part of this property.

INCREASING TENSION AGAINST EURO

Several German politicians warn against the German and the Greek debts becoming entangled. Why not netted them?

Politically this netting between Greece and Germany is already done. Economically we must say that the current health of Germany is not random but indirect result of the policies of the coalition forces after the great war. German surpluses would have been unthinkable without the netting.

Would part of the German elite consider a Greek claim as causus belli (cause of war);

I have not met anyone yet who would send paratroopers in Crete, if you mean something like this. The mood in Germany is currently rather defensive and isolationist, not aggressive. If it were possible to cut Germany with a large saw from the European continent and to moor as an island somewhere between Australia and the Chinese sea, perhaps the majority of Germans would say "yes". No one is interested anymore for imperialist adventures, although many overseas see it differently. The German public has a rather anti-militarist stance.

Could the European agenda be changed due to claims from Athens?

Not necessarily. Ιn Germany there is a growing trend against the euro due to the perception that the common currency has broken the countries of Europe and has made us obnoxious to other Europeans.

Could the Greek claims bring appetite to other countries robbed by the Nazis?

Doubtless. For this reason also Berlin excludes any discussion on the subject. Greece will not be the exception here. The effects of such claims will undoubtedly come up rather indirectly. On the other hand, of course, this could have unintended consequences such as the strengthening of a current that says it is better to give up the euro and lose part of the value of our assets abroad than becoming the target of a new hatred of other peoples.

source: "TO VIMA" newspaper April 28th 2013

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Justice will triumph in the assertion of German reparations

Message of unity and common effort to assert the German reparations emitted in a rare unanimous vote, the entire political world during the debate in the House of Parliament on Wednesday morning, despite the individual "cacophonies" of the Golden Dawn party.

In response to questioning of 60 Members of SYRIZA, Foreign Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos assured that "what is ours, we claim it in the correct and legal way and no one is in any doubt that we make all the necessary for this action" sending a clear message that the issue of German reparations, this time, "opened and will be closed, with Justice triumph." "The issue will close and I believe that justice is above all moral" he said.

At the same time, the Foreign Minister made clear in every direction that to restore the issue of reparations should not be seen as a hostile move to the German people. "The citizens of Germany themselves have condemned the atrocities of the Nazi regime. And it is certain that they understand the position of the Greeks, which in no way identifies the current democratic Germany with the Nazi regime, "he said, to fill with meaning that it is wrong "some to attempt to link the fiscal adjustment needed in our country and the major reforms that promote with the issue of the compensations. "

Indeed, as explained, "an issue open for sixty years does not fit the schedule of financial crisis." Instead, Dimitris Avramopoulos argued that, the settlement "ends the last dark spot left to us by history and heralds a new chapter in our relations."

Meanwhile, Dimitris Avramopoulos made known that in this phase, the Legal Council of State made the legal process, evaluation and documentation of the contents of the report prepared by the General Accounting Office - and by extension the claims of Greek public - and informed the members of the National Agency for the competent services of the Ministry of Foreign awaiting legal counsel, that "we have a strong legal basis".

Earlier, the head of SYRIZA Alexis Tsipras spoke for a major national issue-as claimed-not claimed or raised so far by Greek governments. "We need to see why and to realize that we are accountable to the Greek people, the generation of national resistance and future generations," he said, noting that the issue should be put up to the Summit and the European public opinion "to create a solidarity movement in Greece. "


Meanwhile, Mr Tsipras argued that "if we accept the logic to distinguish war reparations from the loan we would have no luck at either bilateral negotiations or in legal level" and defended the political negotiation within international and European institutions, with the argument that "a broad grassroots international movement of solidarity to the Greek request is required." He proposed, the formation of a Special Select Committee, from which even asked "to exclude the Nazi party Golden Dawn, whose presence is an embarrassment to the Parliament."

Intervening in the debate an MP of SYRIZA and a symbol of resistance to the anti-Nazi struggle Manolis Glezos welcomed the government's initiative to bring the issue of German reparations and addressed to Foreign Minister requested an immediate discussion on the issue with the German side, noting that "The mere fact that Schaeuble says the issue is being terminated, it means that there was an issue. "

"If the government does this, be sure that it has all the Greek people together because it will finally identify itself with the history of the nation and the future of our country,"he said (Manolis Glezos) and added that "the question is not what Greece (claims)  but what has been adjudged to Germany to pay to our country. "

source: http://www.tanea.gr/news/politics/article/5014076/syzhthsh-gia-tis-germanikes-apozhmiwseis-sth-boylh/