The Greek Orthodox Church in Great Britain has spoken of its concerns
for Greece as the country struggles to free itself from a crippling
debt crisis.
Capital city Athens was rocked by violent protests on Wednesday as
Greek riot police took on hundreds of protesters angry over the
government’s austerity measures.
After power-sharing talks collapsed yesterday, Greek Prime Minister
George Papandreou announced he would form a new government and seek a
parliamentary vote of confidence in a renewed effort to push through the
unpopular austerity package.
Charis Mettis, spokesman for the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of
Thyateira and Great Britain, said he was “very worried” about Greece.
“It is a very serious situation,” he told Christian Today. “We hope
that Greece won’t be landed with a dictatorship. Something similar
happened in 1967, when politicians could not agree and the army moved
in.
“We hope that won’t happen this time.”
He said that people in Greece were feeling “desperate” and that the widespread cuts, particularly to wages, were “hurting” them.
Mr Mettis was critical of the approach by other European countries,
which have attached stringent terms to their bailout of the Greek
economy.
“The European countries are pushing Greece to the extreme and it’s a volatile country, it’s not like Ireland,” he said.
As German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas
Sarkozy prepared to meet for crunch talks on the eurozone on Friday, Mr
Mettis said the future of Greece would depend largely on what the
stronger European countries decided.
At home, opposition parties are demanding an election, but Mr Mettis
said an election would not solve Greece’s financial problems.
“Whoever becomes prime minister, the financial situation is too
serious. The only hope is that politicians will be pushed to form a
universal government and the people of the centre-left will accept the
cuts to salaries and so on,” he said.
Whilst sympathising with Greeks over the impact of the austerity
cuts, he said the people should accept them because they are necessary.
“It’s a give and take,” he said.