BERLIN
German Chancellor Angela Merkel played down prospects of a breakthrough with Greece in the coming days, but said she stood ready to restart talks with the government in Athens after a planned referendum on Sunday.
Speaking on Monday after a meeting of German party and parliamentary leaders in the Chancellery, Merkel also criticised the government of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras for failing to compromise with its Eurozone partners after receiving what she called a “generous” offer.
Economy Minister and Vice-Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel, standing alongside Merkel, said if Greeks voted against the bailout offer on Sunday, it would be a clear vote against staying in the euro.
Merkel also stressed Monday that amid the Greek crisis Europe needs the ability to compromise, warning if the “euro fails, Europe fails”, but insisted the bloc must also stick to its principles.
As Greece hurtles toward an EU-IMF default and deeper turmoil after the weekend breakdown of debt talks with creditors, Merkel said that if the “capability to find compromises is lost, then Europe is lost”.
However she stressed that Europe’s principles “need to be fought for”, otherwise it could see its image diminished.
“Perhaps we could give them up in the short term, maybe we could say, ‘Let’s just give in for once,’” she said.
“But I say: in the medium and long term, this would damage us. It would damage us in that we [Europe] would cease to be relevant in the world, that our unity disappears.
“That’s why we need to promote again and again the ability to compromise and the principles in Europe,” Merkel said, ahead of an emergency meeting with party leaders and heads of parliamentary groups to discuss the Greek crisis.
