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Greece summit: French say ‘non’ to a Grexit

With EU leaders due in Brussels for a make or break summit aimed at avoiding a Greek exit from the eurozone, a majority of the French public say they are against the country leaving the bloc. Germans however think differently.

Greece summit: French say 'non' to a Grexit
Protesters in Paris at the weekend send their support to Greece.Photo: AFP

The fate of Greece and the Euro hangs in the balance on Monday with EU leaders set for a last-ditch summit in Brussels with the aim of averting a so-called “Grexit”

With a Greece exit from the Euro now considered a real possibility the French public appear to have a had a change of heart regarding that scenario.

Whereas in the past polls suggested the French favoured a Greek exit, a survey on Sunday showed a majority were now in favour of keeping Greece in the Eurozone.

Greece and its international creditors are wrangling to end a five-month stand-off and agree what reforms Athens will undertake to unlock the latest tranche of its multi-billion-euro bailout in time for it make its latest debt payment and avoid default by June 30.

Even in the event of a Greek default 53 percent of French people were opposed to a Grexit. That’s a big swing from 2011 when 73 percent of French favoured a Greek exit.

That view however differs greatly from the views of the German public, 58 percent of whom would prefer it if Greece simply left the euro.

France’s politicians were still hopeful a deal could be found.

Hours before Monday’s emergency summit France’s EU economic affairs commissioner Pierre Moscovici said Greece’s place in the Eurozone will “largely be decided” on Monday.

Mosocovici believes a deal can be reached to avoid Greece defaulting on its debt and France’s finance minister Michel Sapin was also positive head into the talks.

Sapin hailed the “quality” work around Athens' latest proposals to end Greece's debt crisis, hours before European leaders were to hold an emergency summit on the issue.

“I see the work that has been done. It is quality work,” Michel Sapin told French radio, adding that the negotiations were proceeding in “good conditions”.

Earlier the office of European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said the proposals, which the Greek premier detailed in a phone call with German, French and EU leaders, offered “a good basis for progress”.

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ANGELA MERKEL

German war crime payments debated in Greece

Greece's parliament on Wednesday began a debate on a resolution to demand the payment of German war crime reparations, an issue long disputed by Berlin.

German war crime payments debated in Greece
Angela Merkel and Alexis Tsipras in Greece in January. Photo: DPA

“These demands are always active. They were never set aside by Greece,” parliament chairman Nikos Voutsis told reporters this week.

The chamber is expected to approve later Wednesday, with cross-party support, a resolution calling on the government of Premier Alexis Tsipras “to take all the necessary diplomatic and legal steps to claim and fully satisfy all the demands of the Greek state stemming from World War I and World War II”.

A parliamentary committee last year determined that Germany owes Greece at least €270 billion for World War I damages and looting, atrocities and a forced loan during the Nazi occupation in World War II.

Reclaiming war reparations has been a campaign pledge by Tsipras since 2015. He faces multiple electoral challenges this year, with his party trailing in polls.

'Historical responsibility'

During a visit to Greece in January, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said her country “recognised its historical responsibility.”

SEE ALSO: Merkel says Germany recognizes responsibility for Nazi war crimes in Greece

“We recognize our historical responsibility. We know how much suffering we, as Germany in the time of Nazism, have brought to Greece,” she said.

In 2014, ex-president Joachim Gauck had also sought public forgiveness in the name of Germany from relatives of those murdered by the Nazis in the mountains of northern Greece.

But when it comes to actual payments, the German government has always insisted that the issue was settled in 1960 in a deal with several European governments.

Germany's government spokesman Steffen Seibert reiterated Wednesday that “the reparation issue is judicially and politically settled”. 

He said Berlin is doing “everything it can so Greece and Germany maintain good relations as friends and partners”. 

During the Greek economic crisis, there was further tension in Athens over draconian EU austerity and bailout terms seen to be imposed by Berlin hardliners.

Relations have improved over the last three years after Tsipras' government endorsed conditions linked to satisfying its creditors.

Tsipras and Merkel also worked closely on finding common ground on migration and Balkans security.

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