Ex-EU chief claims bloc official sought Acropolis sale during Greek debt crisis

Jean-Claude Juncker.

Former European Commission main Jean-Claude Juncker has claimed that a erstwhile concern curate of an unspecified European Union state suggested, astatine the tallness of Greece’s fiscal crisis, that the Acropolis should beryllium enactment up for merchantability to screen the Greek debt.

Speaking during an occurrence of a Skai TV documentary connected the crisis, called Sto Xiliosto, Juncker maintained that the connection was made during a gathering of concern ministers of EU members utilizing the euro currency, known arsenic the eurogroup. 

He didn’t accidental whether the suggestion had been intended to beryllium taken virtually and declined to sanction the idiosyncratic who made the proposal. Nor did helium accidental when the alleged incidental occurred.

As Luxembourg’s premier curate and concern minister, Juncker headed the eurogroup from 2005-2013.

“I retrieve successful the eurogroup meetings that some concern ministers were proposing to merchantability the Acropolis to get money,” helium said, aboriginal clarifying that the purported connection was made by a woman.

“I said … ‘shut up,'” helium added.

Juncker used the anecdote to exemplify the catastrophic consequences of Greece’s under-reporting its shortage figures conscionable earlier the situation broke successful 2009.

“It was a truly large mistake,” helium said. “Greece aft having acknowledged that they were starring others successful mistake were nary longer trusted. That was the main problem. And so everyone could accidental astir Greece whatever helium wanted to say.” Or she.