Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Thursday referred to a "surplus of spirit" shown by the Greek people in "welcoming people who fled from their countries", a reference to the exploding refugee/migrant crisis that coincided with his assumption of power in the first half of 2015, but also an apparent barbed rejoinder to the country's institutional creditors over the most recent disagreements.
Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Thursday referred to a "surplus of spirit" shown by the Greek people in "welcoming people who fled from their countries", a reference to the exploding refugee/migrant crisis that coincided with his assumption of power in the first half of 2015, but also an apparent barbed rejoinder to the country's institutional creditors over the most recent disagreements.
The leftist premier made the comment during an event at his office to welcome a group of unaccompanied refugee/migrant minors and teenagers.
"Today we are opening our embrace to these people, who are in need, and I believe that his reflects the feelings of the great majority of the Greek people; despite our difficulties we maintained a dignified stance, and this is a greater wealth and a bigger surplus than all the fiscal surpluses," he said, in highlighting the word "surplus".
In continuing a thinly veiled attack on what many perceived as German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble -- whose country's is hosting the bulk of the Mideast war refugees that initially made it to western Europe -- Tsipras said:
"those who are not well in spirit cannot deal with their country's problems, nor with Europe's, nor with the world's... Those who point the finger at us in the name of agreements must first meet their commitments.
Nevertheless, only a few hours later an ubiquitous "government source" told reporters that Tsipras "in no way was referring to Schaeuble" when he made the "not well in spirit" quip.
The same source didn't add anything to the statement, ostensibly made to preclude fallout from Tsipras' earlier comments.