Greek diplomacy foresees a ‘watered down’ projection of FDP’s ideology in new German gov’t

One of the top ministers in the new Olaf Scholz government in Berlin, Christian Lindner, who’ll assume the all-important German finance ministry portfolio, has come under particular scrutiny of late by the Greek government and the country’s political establishment, given that his Liberal Free Democrats (FDP) party bitterly opposed bailouts for the east Mediterranean country and fielded an especially hard line vis-à-vis Athens.

Nevertheless, as reported by Reuters this week, although many in the liberal FDP had opposed bailouts to Greece during the euro zone crisis, Lindner went on the record this month to praise efforts made by Greece to turn things around.

“In the last few years, (the Greek government) has succeeded in putting the Greek economy on a new course for success with very impressive reform measures,” Lindner said, even adding: “Conversely, Germany must aspire to become as ambitious as Greece’s domestic policy.”

According to a diplomatic note composed by the Greek embassy in Berlin, the coalition government in Berlin between the SPD, the Greens and Lindner’s FDP “by itself means that in practice, possibly, they’ll water down their position”, compared with the party’s initial (negative) positions regarding Greece.

At the same time, the Greek side estimates that the new German FinMin is certain to revisit the issue of reducing the Eurozone’s debt, as well as to adhere to strict fiscal and monetary rules. Lindner is also expected to reject, out of hand, continued pressure by the European south for a relaxing of Stability Pact rules.