BERLIN — Germany's interior minister on Saturday came out strongly in favour of debt-stricken Greece leaving the eurozone, arguing that this would would improve its chances of becoming competitive again.
"I do not mean that Greece should be kicked out of" the 17-nation eurozone, said Hans-Peter Friedrich in an interview with news magazine Der Spiegel, "but to create incentives for an exit that they cannot turn down."
"Outside European monetary union Greece's chances of regenerating itself and become competitive are definitely bigger than if it remained inside the eurozone," said Friedrich.
Friedrich was speaking ahead of a vote by German lawmakers on Monday on a further 130 billion euros ($175 billion) in loans for Greece.