Germany: German war reparations to Greece not an issue anymore

The issue of unpaid German war reparations to Greece will not go away. Greece was occupied and plundered by the Nazis but now the German Foreign Ministry has decreed the issue of war reparations is no longer an issue.

The matter is still very much an issue in Greece. In February Digital Journal reported "a cross party group of 28 Greek MP's has tabled a proposal for the issue of German war reparations to be discussed in Parliament." As Greece's economy is dictated to by German paymasters who heap austerity on their Southern European neighbours whilst insisting Hellas purchase German weapons, there is the small matter of 70 billion euros outstanding from the war era. Greece remains the only country to which Germany failed to pay war reparations. Athens News reported the German Foreign Ministry issued a statement acknowledging its responsibility as regards World War 11 and whilst "deeply grieved over the pain of the victims" states "The war reparations is not an issue any more, 65 years after the end of the war and after decades of peaceful cooperation which was full of confidence with Greece, on a bilateral as well as a European Union and NATO level."Thus case closed as far as Germany is concerned, but still very much open in Greece. War hero Manolis Glezos who famously climbed the Acropolis Hill to remove a German Swastika in occupied Athens in 1942, has campaigned hard for Germany to be held accountable for its debt. Ta Nea reported he responded to the statement from Germany by saying: "The response of the German Foreign Minister at a press question on the debt of Germany to Greece, is historically groundless, false and outrageous. Historically groundless, since it ignores the decision of the Allied Commission of Paris in 1946, which charged that Germany must pay in Greece 7 billion one hundred million U.S. dollars 1938 purchasing power, ie 108 billion without interest. It ignores also the forced loan of $ 1.5 billion market value, 1938, ie 54 billion euros today.

False, because they have not paid in respect of such debts a mark or a penny, a cent in Greece, and has paid each and every country with which was at war. Outrageous, because it alone decides that there is now a destruction of the Greek economy by German troops and the death of the Greeks for the survival of the German people." Glezos concluded by saying "Crimes against humanity are not barred." The Greek Foreign Ministry also said the issue can and will be discussed again, and the issue remains open.