Send to Kindle
Greece has been hit by a wave of strikes in protest against tough government measures, including salary freezes and tax increases. Photo by EPA/BGNES
Greek officials have denied a report in Germany's Spiegel Online magazine that the government is considering the possibility of leaving the euro zone and reintroducing its own currency.
"An article published today concerning the possible exit of Greece from the Eurozone is not only completely untrue but also written with incomprehensible flippancy despite repeated denials by the Greek Government as well as other EU Member States," reads a statement of Greece's finance ministry, which was issued Friday evening.
"Such articles are not only provocative but also highly irresponsible as they undermine Greece's efforts and those of the Eurozone and serve only the interests of speculators," the statement stresses.
Meanwhile Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker, head of the 17-state Eurogroup of currency partners, denied that the urgent meeting on Friday night, which was attended by ministers from Germany, France, Italy and Spain, discussed the possibility of Greece withdrawing from the 17-member euro zone, as well as the idea of restructuring Greece's 327 billion euro sovereign debt.
"We have not been discussing the exit of Greece from the euro area. This is a stupid idea. It is in no way -- it is an avenue we would never take," he told reporters.
"We don't want to have the euro area exploding without reason. We were excluding the restructuring option, which is discussed heavily in certain quarters of the financial markets..."
Greek Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou was invited to the Luxembourg talks to exchange views (on issues including) economic developments in Greece, according to a statement of his ministry.
"It is clear that during this meeting it was never discussed or posed as an issue whether Greece would remain in the euro zone," it said.
European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet and Olli Rehn, the European commissioner for economic and monetary affairs, also attended the meeting.
We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!
Bulgaria's long-anticipated entry into the Eurozone may face a delay, as the country is unlikely to meet the inflation criterion required for the introduction of the euro on January 1, 2025
As the Hungarian forint experiences volatility, German investors are increasingly advocating for Hungary to adopt the euro, reaching the highest level of support in over a decade
In a significant affirmation of Bulgaria's path towards Eurozone accession, European Commissioner for Economy Paolo Gentiloni has confirmed the European Commission's support for Bulgaria's admission to the Eurozone in 2025
Experts suggest that Bulgaria's admission to the Eurozone is more realistic in January 2026
According to an article in "Politico," Russian-funded disinformation campaigns are contributing to a decline in public support for Bulgaria's adoption of the euro
Mounting uncertainty looms over Bulgaria's anticipated entry into the Eurozone, with officials cautioning that the prospect may be delayed amidst persisting inflation challenges
Bulgaria's Minister of Defense Todor Tagarev admitted the possibility that an explosive device might have been planted on board the crashed plane in which Yevgeny Prigozhin was traveling
The European Commission has announced that it is preparing criminal proceedings against Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Malta, and Portugal for incorrect application of the rules on the exchange of data on criminal records and the establishment of the relevant
The European Commission has started an evaluation of the Plan for Reconstruction and Development of Bulgaria, said the spokesman of the European Commission Eric Mamer. The document was submitted to the Commission on 15 October.
58% of Bulgarians do not support the introduction of the euro as the official currency in the country. This shows a study prepared by Trend agency specifically for the financial forum NEXT DIFI 2021, organized by b2b Media for the fifth year. The data dur
Too late Bulgaria began to explain its own position towards North Macedonia, as it should have been clear to our European partners some time ago.
An SPD-led government in Germany has significant potential to sharpen international attention to the problems of corruption in Bulgaria.
UN Happiness Report: Bulgaria's Astonishing Leap in Rankings
Bulgaria: 3 Regions With Lowest Life Expectancy - EU Report 2022
