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German citizens opposed to more help for Greece are quick to jump on the fact that the government fudged its budget figures, playing on stereotypes of Mediterranean dishonesty. Putting up more money "would be the biggest mistake Germany could make," said Andreas Fey, a railway worker from Frankfurt who stopped to talk in front of the European Central Bank headquarters. "They ran up deficits and debts upon debts, made a complete mess, and then lied about it, faked the books. I would stop it immediately, and throw them out." Spain will shortly begin to receive a bailout loan of up to (EURO)100 billion from the other countries in the eurozone for its banking sector. The loan has come with strict government spending and tax conditions. Germany is seen as the main author of these conditions. Antonio Alvarez, a civil servant in Madrid, said he had already seen a poster calling for a boycott of German goods. "Further down the road, if things get worse, there may be problems between people from different countries in Europe," he said. He says that Merkel is punishing Spain unfairly. "I am not sure if she has something against Spain or Spaniards," he said. "But I think she is tightening the screws too much on the government and against the Spanish people." For all the stridency, there are people in Europe trying to act as conciliators. French President Francois Hollande, whose country stretches from the English Channel to the Mediterranean, is pressing for some relaxation of the austerity being forced on countries receiving bailout loans. And Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker, who is also president of the Eurogroup of finance ministers warned Monday in an interview on German TV of the dangers of the current tone of conversation. "That means what was history, and what we thought we had definitely buried, it resurges fast," he said. "European integration remains a highly fragile undertaking. One has to deal carefully with European sentiments and not think history is history. No, no
-- history is present and we have to treat each other carefully." Cinzia Alcidi, a research fellow at the Brussels-based Center for European Policy Studies, said national politicians had an obligation not to inflame passions. "I think there is a sort of division emerging between the creditors and the debtors," Alcidi said. "I think that this element should not be underestimated. I perceive this as the biggest threat to the European project, and the EU as a whole."
[Associated
Press;
Don Melvin can be
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