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| German Leader Arrives in Athens | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| ATHENS — With thousands of police reinforcements on duty to shield her from rowdy protesters who see her as the arch-villain of the euro crisis and their national pain, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany arrived in Athens early Tuesday afternoon to meet Greek leaders and Greek and German entrepreneurs. Civil servants, including teachers and doctors, walked off the job for three hours starting at noon with banners reading “Don’t cry for us Mrs. Merkel” and “Merkel you are not welcome here.” | |
| Ms. Merkel’s planned six-hour visit will be dominated by the issue of Greek measures to impose the austerity needed to keep Greece in the euro zone. | |
| But given the sharp public anger over Germany’s role in pushing Greece toward those painful measures, Greek authorities banned protests in much of downtown Athens and mounted the biggest security operation since 1999 when President Bill Clinton visited Athens amid furious protests at NATO airstrikes against the former Yugoslavia. | |
| Some 7,000 police officers, many brought to the capital from the provinces for the day, are on standby along with rooftop snipers. | |
| Security was particularly heavy outside the Parliament and the German Embassy, where the police were prepared to resort to the use of water cannons if needed. Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, President Karolos Papoulias and the fragile coalition government are embroiled in difficult talks with Greece’s so-called troika of foreign lenders on a $17.4 billion dollar austerity package. | |
| Ms. Merkel’s visit comes only days after her main rivals, the Social Democratic Party, announced that Peer Steinbrück would run against her in next year’s general election. | Ms. Merkel’s visit comes only days after her main rivals, the Social Democratic Party, announced that Peer Steinbrück would run against her in next year’s general election. |
| Mr. Steinbrück served as Ms. Merkel’s finance minister in her government from 2005 to 2009, and his party has been more lenient in its discussion of Greece’s future prospects in the euro zone, arguing the time lost by the government between elections earlier this year must be taken into account when considering aid to the country. | Mr. Steinbrück served as Ms. Merkel’s finance minister in her government from 2005 to 2009, and his party has been more lenient in its discussion of Greece’s future prospects in the euro zone, arguing the time lost by the government between elections earlier this year must be taken into account when considering aid to the country. |
| The Social Democrats criticized Ms. Merkel’s visit to Athens as coming too late. The chancellor was last in Athens in 2007. Carsten Schneider, a finance expert with the Social Democrats criticized the chancellor in comments Tuesday to ARD public broadcaster as “only giving advice from behind a desk in Berlin” since the outbreak of the crisis in 2009. | The Social Democrats criticized Ms. Merkel’s visit to Athens as coming too late. The chancellor was last in Athens in 2007. Carsten Schneider, a finance expert with the Social Democrats criticized the chancellor in comments Tuesday to ARD public broadcaster as “only giving advice from behind a desk in Berlin” since the outbreak of the crisis in 2009. |
| Even within Ms. Merkel’s own Christian Democratic party there are differences of opinion on how to handle Greece. While the chancellor has in recent months shifted her rhetoric from stressing the importance of austerity and come out more strongly in favor of keeping Greece in the euro zone, her current finance minister, Wolfgang Schäuble has upheld a tougher line on Athens. | Even within Ms. Merkel’s own Christian Democratic party there are differences of opinion on how to handle Greece. While the chancellor has in recent months shifted her rhetoric from stressing the importance of austerity and come out more strongly in favor of keeping Greece in the euro zone, her current finance minister, Wolfgang Schäuble has upheld a tougher line on Athens. |
| “We want to help Greece to build up an efficient bureaucracy and an efficient economy, but at some point, Greece needs to stand on its own two feet,” Mr. Schäuble told RBB public broadcaster on Monday . “It is pointless to help a bottomless pit.” | “We want to help Greece to build up an efficient bureaucracy and an efficient economy, but at some point, Greece needs to stand on its own two feet,” Mr. Schäuble told RBB public broadcaster on Monday . “It is pointless to help a bottomless pit.” |
| Ms. Merkel’s government has said her visit is intended as a clear signal of solidarity with the Greeks and will not interfere with the forthcoming report by the troika of lenders — the International Monetary Fund, the European Central Bank and the European Commission. | Ms. Merkel’s government has said her visit is intended as a clear signal of solidarity with the Greeks and will not interfere with the forthcoming report by the troika of lenders — the International Monetary Fund, the European Central Bank and the European Commission. |
| Mario Draghi, president of the European Central Bank, told reporters in Brussels on Tuesday that no decisions would be taken on Greece until the report is produced, but he warned that “regarding reforms, more needs to be done” in Greece, Reuters reported. | Mario Draghi, president of the European Central Bank, told reporters in Brussels on Tuesday that no decisions would be taken on Greece until the report is produced, but he warned that “regarding reforms, more needs to be done” in Greece, Reuters reported. |
| Daily speculation in the local media about the outcome of Greek negotiations with the troika, aimed at securing a $40.8 billion dollar loan without which the country faces default in late November, was eclipsed on Tuesday by anticipation of the German leader’s visit. | Daily speculation in the local media about the outcome of Greek negotiations with the troika, aimed at securing a $40.8 billion dollar loan without which the country faces default in late November, was eclipsed on Tuesday by anticipation of the German leader’s visit. |
| Headlines in center-right newspapers read, “A message of support,” “A decisive visit by Merkel” and “We are staying in the euro.” Others, more skeptical, declared “Merkel is bringing no gifts” and “A day of anger.” | Headlines in center-right newspapers read, “A message of support,” “A decisive visit by Merkel” and “We are staying in the euro.” Others, more skeptical, declared “Merkel is bringing no gifts” and “A day of anger.” |
| This anger was echoed by a nurse heading into the center to join fellow protesters. “This is pure provocation, we have to answer back,” said the nurse, Christina Amanti, 37. “It’s like she’s visiting her protectorate. What’s she going to do, pat us on the back and tell us to keep getting poorer, that it’s good for us?” | This anger was echoed by a nurse heading into the center to join fellow protesters. “This is pure provocation, we have to answer back,” said the nurse, Christina Amanti, 37. “It’s like she’s visiting her protectorate. What’s she going to do, pat us on the back and tell us to keep getting poorer, that it’s good for us?” |
Melissa Eddy contributed reporting from Strasbourg, France. | Melissa Eddy contributed reporting from Strasbourg, France. |