Schaeuble: Can’t rule out “Grexident”

Specifically, he said that the responsibility for what happens next lies only with Greece

Powerful German FinMin Wolfgang Schaeuble on Thursday again touched on the increasingly sensitive “Greek issue”, warning that he can’t rule out the possibility of ‘Grexident’ — the latest eurozone-related neologism that means Greece’s exit from the common currency by accident!

Schaeuble used the newly coined term during an event in Vienna, while adding that although he’s trying to remain calm when it comes to Greece, its leftist government is not helping.

The German FinMin again charged that Greek politicians have to explain to the voters how they will exit the current economic crisis, rather than blame others, i.e. Brussels or Berlin. However, he reiterated that Greece is “certainly not a hopeless case” and that by the end of last year the country’s economic performance was better than expected vis-a-vis goals set out in a bailout program.

Schaeuble’s latest comments came after a demarche delivered by Athens to the German foreign ministry on Tuesday, which expressed the the Greek government’s displeasure over what it considered critical comments by the German minister against Yanis Varoufakis.

In further statements to the Austrian broadcaster ORF on Thursday, Schaeuble said the responsibility for what happens next lies with Greece, and because he doesn’t exactly know what those in charge in Greece are doing, he can’t rule out the prospect of “Grexident”.