Sigmalive — In an interview on German state TV ‘ZDF’, Chancellor Angela Merkel defended her choices and policies on the Euro and Greek crisis, saying that reforms in the Greek economic were a requirement for the creation of new jobs.
Merkel said that Germany was not the only EU country that proposed the implementation of austerity policies during the Eurozone crisis to deal with the problem. ‘With regards to austerity policies, Germany took a stance-not alone-that says we need structural reforms and fiscal stability”.
When the Euro crisis broke out, we saw Greece with a 14% deficit and found the correct mixture’, said Merkel.
On the issue of the Brexit the Chancellor stressed that Germany would wait until the UK had a new PM and invoked article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty in order for the formal procedures of Britain’s exit to start.
Responding on whether she somehow felt responsible for the decision of Britain to leave the EU through her policy on the refugee crisis, Merkel underlined that Europe was responsible for the protection of refugees fleeing wars, while she defended her decision to cooperate with Turkey on stemming the refugee flows into Europe. ‘We have a mutual interest in dealing with the refugee crisis’, Merkel stressed.
