Jean-Claude Juncker.
Former European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker has claimed that a former finance minister of an unspecified European Union country suggested, at the height of Greece’s financial crisis, that the Acropolis should be put up for sale to cover the Greek debt.
Speaking during an episode of a Skai TV documentary on the crisis, called Sto Xiliosto, Juncker maintained that the proposal was made during a meeting of finance ministers of EU members using the euro currency, known as the eurogroup.
He didn’t say whether the suggestion had been intended to be taken literally and declined to name the person who made the proposal. Nor did he say when the alleged incident occurred.
As Luxembourg’s prime minister and finance minister, Juncker headed the eurogroup from 2005-2013.
“I remember in the eurogroup meetings that some finance ministers were proposing to sell the Acropolis to get money,” he said, later clarifying that the purported proposal was made by a woman.
“I said … ‘shut up,’” he added.
Juncker used the anecdote to illustrate the catastrophic consequences of Greece’s under-reporting its deficit figures just before the crisis broke in 2009.
“It was a really big mistake,” he said. “Greece after having acknowledged that they were leading others in error were no longer trusted. That was the main problem. And so everyone could say about Greece whatever he wanted to say.” Or she.