Schaeuble's 'Wrong Message' Barb on Greece Causes Spat in Berlin
- Merkel’s German coalition bickers over euro austerity policy
- Foreign minister’s call for more time on deficits rejected
Wolfgang Schaeuble
Photographer: Andrew Harrer/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble rebuked a fellow cabinet member for sending the “wrong message” to Greece by suggesting a relaxation of fiscal austerity, triggering an election-year dispute in Chancellor Angela Merkel’s coalition.
Schaeuble, a Christian Democrat like Merkel, was responding to Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel, who suggested that Germany contribute a greater share of the European Union’s budget and called for “ending the reduction of European stability to a pure austerity policy.” His opinion piece appeared in Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung on Wednesday, the day he traveled to Athens for talks with Greek leaders, including Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.