Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said she never wanted Greece to leave the eurozone, speaking during a special event at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center in Athens ahead of the 10th anniversary of the 2015 Greek bailout referendum.
In conversation with Kathimerini’s Alexis Papachelas, Merkel reflected on the eurozone crisis, her disagreements with then-Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble, and the pressure-filled negotiations with Greek leaders.
“I decided in 2011 that everything possible had to be done to keep Greece in the eurozone,” she said, while acknowledging tensions: “Knowing that Schäuble wanted Greece out of the euro, I called him constantly to update him.”
On Alexis Tsipras, Merkel recalled their early meetings: “I thought to myself, ‘God help us!’” She detailed the critical phone call where he announced the 2015 referendum: “I didn’t want Greece to leave the euro, and he didn’t want a bailout… That’s when I lost my voice.”
She expressed admiration for the Greek people, saying: “I was impressed by how the Greeks endured with only 60 euros a day… I said to myself: the Germans couldn’t have handled that.”
Though under intense international pressure – including from President Obama – Merkel said she followed legal boundaries. “At one point, I cried — I was under immense pressure.”
Asked if she would apologise to Greeks, she said: “I wouldn’t apologise. I’ve explained my motives. I would say: we achieved a lot. I can’t imagine the EU without Greece.”
Merkel also commented on the migration crisis, Turkey, Putin, and Trump, offering rare insights into the personal and political challenges she faced during her time as chancellor.
Source: Protothema
