Merkel Tells Critics to Get Off Greece's Back

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who has been insisting on harsh austerity measures for Greece in return for international bailout loans, has warned politicians in her ruling coalition to lay off criticism about Greece’s efforts to right its struggling economy.
That came after Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, in a visit to Berlin to detail his plans to make another $14.16 billion in cuts, complained that constant criticism – particularly from German politicians – was undermining his efforts, especially the struggle to privatize state entities and sell or lease state properties.
Merkel said that the shots at Greece, as well as the European Central Bank (ECB,) were putting the Eurozone of the countries who use the euro as a currency at risk and she wants it ro stop. Her remarks, in an interview on German television, came after a senior Bavarian conservative said ECB plans to resume buying Eurozone government bonds were like printing counterfeit money.
For weeks, senior German conservative officials have openly suggested that a Greek exit from the Eurozone would be easily manageable. One Bavarian official said Europe should “make an example” of Greece, forcing Athens out for failing to decisively cut its budget deficit.
“We are in a very decisive phase in the fight against the European debt crisis,” Merkel said. “That is why I would ask everyone to weigh their words carefully.” She said the Greek coalition government led by under Samaras is undertaking “serious efforts” to reduce its debt, and repeated that Germany will stand by the country where the crisis originated. Samaras had appealed to European officials to stop making “toxic statements” about Greece.
He warned that if European officials kept suggesting to potential investors that Greece would soon leave the euro and revert to the drachma it could be difficult to privatize state industries—part of the deal Athens made in exchange for a second bailout, this one for $173 billion, that is on hold until a report next month from the Troika of the EU-International Monetary Fund-ECB.
Samaras had publicly mentioned the hope that Greece could get a two-year extension to meet fiscal targets, make more cuts and lower its deficit from 9.3 to 3 percent, the Eurozone ceiling, but stopped short of asking Merkel for her support. German Economy Minister Philipp Roesler said Greece should not be given any more time.  “Everybody must recognize that time always means also money … if the reforms are not undertaken, there can be no further aid.”
(Sources: Wall Street Journal, Kathimerini)