The Chancellor of Austria Werner Faymann arrived in Athens on Tuesday for a two-day visit, following an invitation by Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras in February. Mr. Faymann will meet with PM Tsipras at noon on Wednesday and then give a press conference.
In an interview for Austrian newspaper Krone, Mr. Faymann clarified that the aim of his trip is to express his solidarity towards the Greek people and remind the Greek government that it must work towards a compromise solution. He also called Athens to take serious measures, stressing that a solution is needed by the end of June, followed by a five-year plan to restore the economy.
Although he opined that Greece does not have many friends in Europe and that time is running out, a possible Grexit would have a profound effect on Europe and trigger catastrophic consequences on a social level. To this he cited the example of Germany and the wars.
When asked whether the Greek government is to blame for the present situation, the Austrian Chancellor agreed and criticized SYRIZA for its election campaign pledge, noting that he “would never vote for such a party”.
