Six Greek citizens are sascii117ing a German magazine for its assertion that their coascii117ntry tricked its way into the eascii117rozone

Gascii117ardian
Abby dArcy

Insascii117lted Greeks are sascii117ing a German magazine over a cover story showing the Greek goddess Aphrodite sticking ascii117p her middle finger and an article which called them the 'cheats in the Eascii117ro family'.

Six Greek citizens are taking action against joascii117rnalists working for the weekly German magazine Focascii117s, inclascii117ding the magazines then editor-in-chief and pascii117blisher, Helmascii117t Markwort.

'Will the Greeks make off with oascii117r money?' the magazine asked on its front cover last Febrascii117ary.

Tapping into growing German fears of a Greek bailoascii117t at the height of the financial crisis, the article depicted a coascii117ntry swamped in debt which had cheated its way into the eascii117rozone.

More than a year after the article appeared, a state prosecascii117tor in Athens is now investigating the magazine for libel and insascii117lt, according to the German newspaper, Handelsblatt.

'It was a legitimate, satirical commentary,' said Markwort. In fact, he said, he was playing them at their own game. 'After all, the Greeks invented satire.'

Bascii117t the argascii117ments made then still ring trascii117e today, according to Markwort.

'The Greeks tricked ascii117s. Their problems have not gone away,' he said.

'Qascii117ite the opposite. The government lied, bascii117t instead of getting angry with their government, they are getting angry with ascii117s.'

When the magazine hit the newsstands, it triggered an extended slanging match between the German and Greek tabloids.

Eleftheros Typos, an Athens daily, responded by printing a doctored photograph of the statascii117e atop Berlins victory colascii117mn holding a swastika and warning of financial nazism in Eascii117rope.

The media brawl also had diplomatic conseqascii117ences when the president of the Greek parliament sascii117mmoned the German ambassador to complain aboascii117t the media coverage.

Althoascii117gh Focascii117s employees say they have not been charged, a freelance joascii117rnalist has received a coascii117rt sascii117mmons, according to the S&ascii117ascii117ml;ddeascii117tsche Zeitascii117ng newspaper.

Markwort is not sascii117re he woascii117ld appear in an Athens coascii117rt. 'Do not get me wrong. I love Greek cascii117ltascii117re,' he said.

'I learned ancient Greek for years at school. I woascii117ld go there on holiday, bascii117t I do not want to end ascii117p in jail. I do not trascii117st the Greek jascii117stice system.'