In well -known and unknown aspects of the Greek debt crisis, the Grexit scenario, the dramatic hours of meetings with the Greek government and the first meeting he had with then Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, was mentioned by former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, a ” Niarchos’, at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, on the occasion of the release of her book entitled “Freedom” by Metachimo.

Watch the entire discussion HERE

Angela Merkel revealed that the first meeting with Alexis Tsipras “was not impressive because she was in Brussels.” Then came Mr Tsipras’ invitation to Berlin. “Tsipras went to greet some protesters who had gathered in front of the chancellor. It impressed me. I was telling the photographers that I was hoping to come for a while, “he said.

“I told him, going to the point, that he was bold what he did and he told me that we had to think about our followers, he was right,” the Chancellor continued, stressing that at the meeting, “we came close and started to understand.”

“We were coming from different political spaces. The art of politics is when you have two different positions, try to develop a common position. It took time. I had the feeling that Tsipras didn’t look at me. He was honest and I believe he felt the same thing for me, “concluded Angela Merkel.

The former German Chancellor also gave a characteristic picture of the pressure he experienced at that time. Specifically, he referred to a strong personal snapshot of a G20 summit, with the backdrop of the events that marked the Greek debt crisis.

Among other things, he was asked about the role of then US President Barack Obama. “Obama did not know the legal part well, the goals of the ECB. The US Federal Bank has other responsibilities. Obama didn’t know everything, at some point I was crying, I had pressure, “Mrs Merkel replied, adding that” he wanted to say the ECB to give more fluid. My consultants told me that I couldn’t do that, it wouldn’t even be accepted by the German courts and I had said that to Obama. “

It is interesting to have a reference to the former German Chancellor about a G20 meeting. “They treated me ‘like a sick horse’. I was constantly feeling that I was a bit of a slower because I couldn’t understand what I was saying, “he commented.