Juncker: Northern Europeans are dogmatic on Greece

EC President interviewed on German radio

No country has achieved greater progress in competitiveness like Greece, said European Commission President Jean Claude Juncker. In an interview to German radio station Deutschlandfunk (DLF), the EC head said that despite any irritation over the situation in Greece, the country has made numerous structural reforms, “more than the dogmatic northern Europeans”. “Especially in Germany, they speak as if they are absolutely familiar with the situation. They are not”, he stressed. The head of the EC scolded the northern Europeans for adopting a tone and opinions in their judgement of Greece between 2014 and 2015 that was unwarranted and failed to take into account the Greek efforts. “I am of the opinion that Greece has not reached the end of its efforts, but to claim that Greece has done nothing is wrong.” On the issue of whether the a 3rd bailout package was in jeopardy, Mr. Juncker said its success of failure depended on the stance the IMF would take on the matter.