Greece threatens to seize German property as compensation

[muriel_volestrangler]

The Greek government has threatened to seize German property as compensation for a Nazi atrocity in World War Two.

Justice Minister Nikos Paraskevopoulos said he was ready to approve a Supreme Court ruling from 2000 backing payment to relatives of the 218 victims.

The debt-ridden government is already calling for Germany to pay billions of euros in wartime reparations.

But Germany insists the issue of compensation was settled in 1990, before the country was reunified.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-31831694

[bemildred]

1. German, Greek tensions extend to World War II dispute

The already strained relationship between Germany and Greece took another acrimonious turn this week, with a dispute over a Nazi-era war tab momentarily overshadowing bailout negotiations.

First, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Tuesday blasted Germany for allegedly refusing to settle on the debt related to the Nazi occupation of Greece during World War II. "Germany has never properly paid reparations for the damage done to Greece by the Nazi occupation,” Tsipras said.

Then on Wednesday, Greek Justice Minister Nikos Paraskevopolous said that he was prepared to follow through on an existing Greek court ruling from 2000 that would allow the government to seize German state-owned property in compensation for a Nazi massacre on a small Greek village more than seven decades ago.

In response to the Greek announcement, a German government spokesman said Wednesday that Greece should focus on its predicament now and that past accounts had been straightened out.

http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/3/11/german-greek-tensions-extend-to-lingering-world-war-ii-dispute.html