Thomas Piketty Claims Germany Should Be The Last Country To Lecture Greece On Debt

This Leading Econimist Has Nailed Germany For 'Blistering Hypocrisy' On Greek Debt
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France's influential economist Thomas Piketty, author of the bestseller 'Capital in the 21st Century' addresses a keynote speech during a symposium Les Entretiens du Tresor at the Economy Ministry in Paris on January 23, 2015. AFP PHOTO / ERIC PIERMONT (Photo credit should read ERIC PIERMONT/AFP/Getty Images)
ERIC PIERMONT via Getty Images

The German government is on course to destroy Europe with its attempts to impose austerity across the continent, a leading French economist has claimed.

Thomas Piketty, an academic and capitalism commentator who was named the 'world's most influential thinker', launched a scathing attack on Angela Merkel and European bureaucrats on Monday for blistering hypocrisy over attempts to force Greece to adopt austere repayment plans.

In an interview with German magazine Die Welt, published just hours before Greece's finance minister Yanis Varoufakis announced his resignation, Piketty called for a conference on all Europe's debts, similar to ones held in the aftermath of World War Two.

"When I hear the Germans say that they maintain a very moral stance about debt and strongly believe that debts must be repaid, then I think: 'what a huge joke!' Germany is the country that has never repaid its debts. It has no standing to lecture other nations," he said.

"There is neither a reason for France, nor Germany, and especially not for Europe, to be happy. I am much more afraid that the conservatives, especially in Germany, are about to destroy Europe and the European idea, all because of their shocking ignorance of history."

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Priests Protest Austerity
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SYNTAGMA SQUARE, ATHENS, ATTICA, GREECE - 2015/06/17: An orthodox priest, carrying a flag of the Greek Orthodox Church, takes part in the pro-government protest. Greeks assembled outside the Greek Parliament, supporting their government against new austerity measures proposed by the IMF and EU, to prevent a Grexit. They called for the right of the Greek society to decide its future itself. (Photo by Michael Debets/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images) (credit:Pacific Press via Getty Images)
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A Greek orthodox priest takes part in a rally at Syntagma square in front of the Greek parliament building in Athens, Greece, on Sunday, June 21, 2015. Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has made an offer to European Union leaders he described as a 'definitive' solution ahead of Monday's emergency summit. Photographer: Kostas Tsironis/Bloomberg via Getty Images (credit:Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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A Greek Orthodox priest crosses the street outside of Bank of Greece headquarters in Athens, Friday, June 19, 2015. Several European countries said openly they are getting ready for the possibility of Greece leaving the euro. And though there was no sign of panic in the streets of Greece over that prospect, officials say Greeks are taking money out of banks in growing amounts. (credit:Thanassis Stavrakis/AP)
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A Greek Orthodox priest holding a national flag walks in front of a Presidential guard during an anti-austerity rally in front of the parliament in Athens, Greece, on Wednesday, June 17, 2015. Greece and its creditors publicly blamed one another for an impasse in bailout talks, on the eve of a eurozone finance ministers' meeting billed as key to their outcome. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
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SYNTAGMA SQUARE, ATHENS, ATTICA, GREECE - 2015/06/30: An orthodox priest takes part in the Pro-Euro rally in Athens. Thousands of people rallied in central Athens despite rain, calling for a yes vote on the upcoming Greek referendum about the reform plans proposed by the Troika, to continue Greek's bailout. They called for Greece to stay in the Euro and for the Greek government to resign immediately. (credit:Pacific Press via Getty Images)

When asked if he was suggesting that states who didn't pay back their debts were winners, Piketty responded that Germany was just such a state.

The French economist, named in March by Prospect Magazine as the world's most influential thinker, made his comments ahead of emergency talks between Angela Merkel and France's President Francois Hollande.

Discussions between European leaders are also scheduled for Tuesday in response to a resounding rejection from the Greek people of repayment plans in Sunday's referendum, and the subsequent resignation of the country's finance minister.