Problems of scale

DAMANAKI ON GREEK DEBT

Maria Damanaki was not a member of the centre-right government that hid the truth about Greece's debt for so many years. But she sees the problem as a collective failure of the Greek political class. “It was our fault; our record is not good.” Nevertheless, she thinks it was the right decision for Greece to join the eurozone – describing it as “a great success for Greece and for Europe”.

She “cannot say” whether Greece will meet its debt repayments, but is frustrated that people are overlooking the impact of the austerity measures on Greece. “Some people in Europe have not understood the very real effort people are making,” she says, citing budget cuts of 20%-30%. She “well understands” Germany's position, but is confident that European solidarity will win the day. Employing a maritime metaphor, she concludes: “Germany and Greece...are in the same boat, so we have to co-operate.”