Pages

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

GUE/NGL leader says Greek press distorted her words

by  Elena Ralli

Gabi Zimmer, President of the GUE/NGL said that the Greek press has distorted her words in a meeting with members of the Greek Cabinet. She also stressed that there were no journalists present during the meeting that took place in the context of the Conference of Presidents of the European Parliament with the Greek government.

The GUE/NGL leader said in a statement: “I was surprised and irritated to see this morning's press reports in two pro-government newspapers, namely “Ta Nea” and “Ethnos”, full of distortions regarding what I said in a meeting with members of the Greek Cabinet… I actually made a specific reference to Greece’s public debt exactly in the opposite direction than the two newspapers describe. I said that a debt audit is necessary for Greece so as to sort out the immoral and illegitimate part of it, which should not be repaid… I never could have – and didn’t – oppose the Greek to the German citizen. Even to think of it is an offense to me. I also criticized the Greek government for presenting a rosy and misleading picture of the economic and social situation in the country.”

According to Greek media reports, the Greek Foreign Minister, Evangelos Venizelos responded to Mrs. Zimmer’s alleged remarks regarding the Greek debt by saying that German citizens have not been burdened with providing financial help to Greece and that the loans come from different sources.

In her statement, Zimmer also added that she didn’t want to assume that Venizelos is responsible for the two false press reports.


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.neurope.eu