German Chancellor Angela Merkel has pledged her country's continuing support to Greece amid lingering concerns about Europe's debt crisis. The German leader, who arrived in Athens on Tuesday to meet with Greek leaders regarding the ongoing debt crisis, said Greece had made significant progress in dealing with its huge debt but that it was a "difficult path."
Merkel, who is visiting Greece for the first time since the crisis began, had talks with Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras. The Chancellor landed in Athens to deliver a message of support amid strike called by Greek trade unions in protest against Germany's tough stance with regard to the bailout reforms.
Merkel acknowledged the Greek public sentiment by saying that there were "many people suffering in Greece" as a result of the financial crisis and austerity measures. She said that the next bailout installment of 31.5 billion euros by the Troika should help boost the Greek economy, although that alone is not enough to "solve all of Greece's problems."
On Monday, Jean-Claude Juncker, leader of the eurozone finance ministers' group, called on the Greek government to demonstrate it could implement planned reforms "by 18 October at the latest" to qualify for the aid tranche.
The long-awaited report by the European Commission, the International Monetary Fund and the European Central Bank into the Greek economy remains crucial, according to Merkel.
Merkel said that Greece was making progress on a daily basis, while Samaras termed Merkel's visit as a token of proof of the progress Greece has made. The Greek PM noted that "Merkel's visit means we are breaking a European isolation that was partly due to our own mistakes."
However, Merkel as well as Greek austerity were greeted with a mass protest on Tuesday, as thousands gathered at Syntagma Square in the afternoon in addition to a three-hour strike call.
Police fired teargas and arrested dozens when a section of the mob turned violent. The protesters displayed banners with slogans such as "No to the Fourth Reich," and burned Swastika flag.
Later in the day, during a brief meeting with President Karolos Papouilas, Merkel told him that she is aware of the tough situation, and that she came here to support Greece. Papoulias responded that the Greek society was close to a breaking point, and cited hat more than half of the country's youth are unemployed.
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