Germany Urges Greece to Honor Commitment

Angela Merkel’s spokesman insists that crisis isn't a ‘private feud’ between Athens and Berlin

The Wall Street Journal

By ANDREA THOMAS

Updated March 13, 2015 11:26 a.m. ET

BERLIN—Germany wants Greece to stay in the eurozone, but it is now in the hands of the government in Athens to honor its commitment to overhaul its economy, senior German government officials have said.

“The goal of the German government, the chancellor and the finance minister has been for years, since the outbreak of the crisis, to preserve the eurozone as a whole—with all its members—and to stabilize it,” said Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman Steffen Seibert on Friday. “This remains our political goal: keeping Greece in the eurozone.”

He insisted that solving the Greek crisis isn't a “private feud” or bilateral issue between Berlin and Athens, but a task between Greece and the eurozone.

The comments come after German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble said in a television interview on Thursday evening that an unplanned Greek exit from the eurozone is possible, highlighting Germany’s growing frustration with Greece’s new leaders, who they say have done little to secure fresh eurozone and International Monetary Fund aid despite debt repayments due this month.

“As the responsibility, the possibility to decide what’s happening, is only with Greece and as we don’t exactly know what those in charge in Greece are doing, we can’t rule it [an unplanned Greek exit] out,” Mr. Schäuble said on Austrian broadcaster ORF during a visit in Austria.

A spokeswoman for the German finance ministry stressed Friday that Mr. Schäuble made this comments after his Austrian counterpart had earlier said he sees the risk of an unplanned Greek exit.

“We strive towards strengthening the eurozone and maintaining the eurozone as it exists. We don’t want Greece leaving the eurozone,” said ministry spokeswoman Friederike von Tiesenhausen. “But it’s also important to emphasize that it’s now in the hands of Greece to fulfill its reform pledges as promised. It’s also important to say that there won’t be a blank check.”

Any aid for the eurozone partners will only be awarded once Greece honors its commitments, she said.

Tensions between Greece and Germany have increased over the past days, after Greece insisted that Berlin should pay compensation for Nazi atrocities in Greece. Earlier this week, Athens also complained at the foreign ministry in Berlin that Mr. Schäuble has allegedly insulted Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis. The finance minister has rejected this claim.

Write to Andrea Thomas at andrea.thomas@wsj.com

Corrections & Amplifications

Angela Merkel’s spokesman insists that crisis isn't a ‘private feud’ between Athens and Berlin. An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated Ms. Merkel’s forename in the subheading.