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00:00IT IS GOOD TO SEE YOU. WHAT IS YOUR ASSESSMENT OF WHO HAS HAD TO BLINK FIRST AND WHO HAS HAD TO COMPROMISE TO GET TO THE OPTIMISTIC POSITION WE HAVE FOUND OURSELVES IN NEXT WEEK. IT SEEMS THAT THE GREEKS HAVE MOVED IT LITTLE BIT AND YOU SUGGEST THE GERMANS MIGHT MOVE ON DEBT RELIEF. >> I THINK THAT IS NEXT. WE ARE GOING INTO TOMORROW AND THE GREEKS WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE ON THE TECHNICAL DETAILS, WHEN IT COMES TO THE ROOF FIRMS -- THE REFORMS ON THE GROUND. THE MORE THEY DO A, THE MORE LIKELY IT IS THAT THEY WILL RAMP UP THE PRESSURE WHEN THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL RECONVENES. THEY WILL SAY, LOOK, WE HAVE PLAYED BALL WITH YOUR DEMANDS AND NOW, IT IS UP TO YOU AND IT MEANS THAT WE HAVE SOME SORT OF LANGUAGE ON DEBT RELIEF, OTHERWISE WE WILL NOT GET A THRILL OF PARLIAMENT. THAT IS WHAT IT WILL BE LIKE ON THURSDAY. ANNA: LANGUAGE ON DEBT RELIEF. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? DOES THAT MEAN A VAGUE TIME HORIZON? >> THE IDEAS OF STEPPING BACK AND TYING THE BONDS OF THE ECB, THAT IS ONLY UNDER A THIRD PROGRAM. WE ARE NOT THERE YET. WHAT MIGHT BE IS SOMETHING INVOLVING TWEAKING IT THE MATURITIES OF THE INTEREST RATES AND THE BILATERAL LOANS. SOMETHING LIKE THAT. POTENTIALLY, SOME LANGUAGE TO KEEP AN EY E ON SUSTAINABILITY. THERE WILL BE INTENSE NEGOTIATIONS AND IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT THE GERMANS MOVE AS MUCH AS THE GREEKS HAVE BEEN MOVING. ANNA: HOW DOES MERKEL SEND IT -- SELL IT TO THE GERMAN PEOPLE AND THE LAWMAKERS? >> IT WILL BE INTERESTING. OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS, SHE HAS BEEN RELYING ON KEEPING THE DEBATE IN A TECHNICAL FORUM AND RELYING ON THE EUROGROUP. WE ARE NEARING A STAGE WHERE SHE HAS TO STEP OUT WITH A FORCEFUL ARGUMENT IN FRONT OF THE GERMANS AND SAYING, THIS IS WHY WE ARE DOING THIS AND WE NEED TO TO MAINTAIN THE UNITY OF THE EURO. I THINK THIS IS WHAT SHOULD BE DONE. SHE HAS A MAJORITY , 188 VOTES FOR THE COALITION. THERE IS A LOT OF LEEWAY. SHE HAS TO START TAKING THE TONE OF THE CONVERSATION THAT SHE HAS WITH THE GERMAN ELECTORATE. ANNA: IS THE POSITION HELPED BY THE FACT THAT THE ANTI-EURO , THE EURO-SKEPTIC PARTY , ARE GOING THROUGH A DIFFICULT TIME RIGHT NOW? >> THEY ARE IN SHATTERS IT RIGHT NOW, IF YOU LOOK AT THE INTERNAL DYNAMICS. IT IS PROBABLY A GOOD MOMENT IN TIME TO HAVE THE CONVERSATION ABOUT GREECE NOW. THE VOTES HANGING IN THE COALITION. IT IS A LOT, WHETHER OR NOT ANP IS DOING WELL IN THE POLLS. >> WHAT ARE THE REPERCUSSIONS? WE HAVE THE GENERAL ELECTIONS COMING UP AND DOES THIS GREEK DRAMA PLAY OUT IN A GERMAN DOMESTIC SETTING IN THE POLITICS TO COME? >> IT'S CERTAINLY WELL. HOW WELL WILL WORK ALL BE ABLE TO CONVINCE HER PARTY OF THE NECESSITY OF THIS? WILL SHE BE ABLE TO DO THIS? HOW MUCH ARE THEY GOING TO COME AND SUPPORT THIS? THERE IS A MASSIVE AMOUNT OF CREDIBILITY WITH THE DEMOCRATIC UNION. THE CLOSER TO MARCH, THAT IS THE FIRST. THE CLOSER WE GET TO THAT, THE MORE TENSE THE CONVERSATION

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Germans Must Move as Much as the Greeks: Nickel

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