[WATCH] ‘Greeks must pay back debt owed to Malta’

'Greeks should repay debt to Malta' • Video by Ray Attard

Participants in a vox-pop in Valletta all agreed that Greece should pay off its €180 million debt to Malta, in some way or another.

The election of the radical left party Syriza in Greece left EU leaders split between those who fear Greece will fail to meet its commitments and repay its debts to the EU, and those who support “fair policies with more social justice” for the austerity-stricken country.

EU officials have however made it clear that the new Greek administration led by Alexis Tsipras will have to repay the country’s debt, although talks on a debt maturity extension were possible.

People who spoke to MaltaToday agreed that every country should pay its dues, in some way or another.

The majority of participants agreed that although Greece should pay off its debt, it should be allowed to do so over a longer period of time, to allow the country’s economy to get back on its feet. However, Greece should ultimately honour its agreement in taking the loan.

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat on Monday told MaltaToday that Malta, as a Eurozone member, was one of the countries that helped Greece with its bailout and that this commitment cannot be ignored.

“There are two sides to this debate: the new Greek administration is saying that the repayment programme is not sustainable; on the other hand, member states forked out taxpayers’ money to help Greece and we will keep on insisting to have our money back,” he said.

Earlier that day, Finance Minister Edward Scicluna said that Malta was prepared to engage with the new Greek government but was unwilling to write off any of the outstanding debt owed by Greece to the country.

“Any concession may be put on the table for discussion, except for writing off any of the €181 million outstanding debt,” Scicluna said.

Tsipras’s party was elected on Sunday following months of anti-austerity campaigning, putting the country on a possible collision with the EU over its massive bailout. A mere two seats short of an absolute majority, the Greeks have essentially voted to reject a core policy devised by the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund.   

The fear is that Tsipras could force Greece out of the Eurozone, although opinion polls show that a clear majority of Greeks, 70%, want to remain in the euro.