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Germans cast doubt on credibility of Greek gov't over debt issue

Xinhua, February 25, 2015 Adjust font size:

German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said on Wednesday that there were doubts in Germany about Greek government's credibility over debt issue.

The minister said Eurogroup's decision on Tuesday to extend aid program for Greece until end of June was "not easy" for creditors, nor for Greek government.

"Now the question is: Can you believe the assurances of the Greek government or not? There are many doubts in Germany, this must be understood," Schaeuble said in an interview with German SWR2 radio.

A poll by INSA institute showed on Wednesday that only 21 percent of Germans support the extension of aid program for Greece.

Bundestag, the lower house of German parliament, was due to vote on the deal on Friday. Though Chancellor Angela Merkel's governing coalition of CDU/CSU and SPD holds the majority in the parliament, skeptical voices were heard on Wednesday.

CDU's economic council sent a letter to parliament members to urge them not to support the extension.

"We must not fear of a blackmail from aid we have already paid," read the letter cited by Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper.

In an interview with Passauer Neue Presse newspaper, CDU politician Wolfgang Bosbach warned that he would vote against the extension on Friday.

Schaeuble said euro zone finance ministers' decision on Tuesday gave Greece more time to fulfill its reform commitments made to international creditors.

"If they do so, they will get the outstanding payments from the current program," he said. "No single euro will be paid before that." Endit