The violence erupted as Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou was to meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel later Friday, with Germany critical to any eurozone effort to help Greece restore its market credibility and already signalling it was not prepared to offer financial assistance.
Parliament meanwhile approved the budget and spending cuts worth 4.8 billion euros (6.5 billion dollars) announced by Papandreou on Wednesday as he sought to secure EU backing.
Papandreou told Germany’s Frankfurter Allgemeine newspaper he was “not asking for money” but other forms of support.
Greek aid “unnecessary”
“We need support from the European Union and our partners to obtain credit on the markets at better conditions. If we do not receive this aid, we will not be able to enact the changes we foresee.”
But speaking ahead of the Merkel-Papandreou talks, Germany’s Economy Minister Rainer Bruederle said Berlin would not provide Greece with “one cent.”
“Papandreou said that he didn’t want one cent — in any case the German government will not give one cent,” Bruederle told reporters.
Luxembourg’s Jean-Claude Juncker, who acts as the formal head in finance matters for the 16 nations that share euro, said he believed the Greek measures meant that Athens would not now need EU aid.
Greeks, Germans meet over finanical crisis
“The commitments taken by the Greek government are clearly paving the way towards an exit” from its debt and deficit crisis, Juncker said.
Juncker reiterated the agreed line among European Union leaders that they “stand ready to take coordinated and determined action if necessary (but) … I don’t think this action will be needed.”
Subscribe