ATHENS (MNI) – A news story today about the possible withdrawal of
Greece from the Eurozone is false, and such reporting undermines Greek
reform efforts as well as the euro itself, Greece’s Finance Ministry
said in a written statement issued moments ago.
“The publication about an imminent exit by Greece from the
Eurozone, beyond the fact that it is untrue, has been written with an
unthinkable lack of gravity, despite the fact that the Greek government
has repeatedly denied such rumors,” the ministry said.
“Such rumors have also been denied by the rest of the Eurozone
governments,” the ministry continued. “Such publications are
provocative. They undermine Greece’s efforts and the euro, and serve
speculative games.”
The strongly worded ministry statement was in response to an online
report by Germany’s Der Spiegel magazine, which said earlier this
afternoon that Greece was considering leaving the Eurozone and creating
its own independent currency. The magazine said there was an emergency
meeting planned in Luxembourg tonight to discuss the issue.
The report sent the euro sharply lower, but was swiftly denied by a
spokesman for Eurogroup Chairman Jean-Claude Juncker, who is also the
prime minister of Luxembourg. Shortly afterwards, a Greek government
official, requesting anonymity, also denied the story.
–Angelika Papamiltiadou, a_papamiltiadou@hotmail.com
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