ATHENS, Greece (AP) – Greece’s recent efforts to get its public finances into shape could have been the model for recently defaulted Argentina to follow.
That’s the view of Jean-Claude Juncker, the man who is due to take over the European Union’s executive branch in November.
After talks with Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras in Athens, Juncker said the reforms carried about by the country over the past few years could have served as a model for Argentina, which last week defaulted on its debts for the second time since 2001.
“Greece could have been a good example for Argentina to avoid the problems it was not able to avoid,” Juncker said. “So Greece is not Argentina.”
In his first trip abroad since being elected to head the European Commission, Juncker praised Greek efforts to improve public finances, and insisted that he played a key role in keeping the country in the euro currency zone.