Jeroen Dijsselbloem: Southern Europeans spent the money on ‘drinks and women’ A Dutch finance minister who was at the centre of the eurozone crisis in Greece has provoked anger by suggesting […]

A Dutch finance minister who was at the centre of the eurozone crisis in Greece has provoked anger by suggesting southern European countries spent “all the money on drinks and women”.

Jeroen Dijsselbloem is the head of the Eurogroup, the collective of eurozone finance ministers who meet frequently to set policy.

Mr Dijsselbloem told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, a German newspaper:

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During the crisis of the euro, the countries of the North have shown solidarity with the countries affected by the crisis. As a Social Democrat, I attribute exceptional importance to solidarity. [But] you also have obligations. You can not spend all the money on drinks and women and then ask for help.

He refused to apologise after the comments were picked up by the Spanish press.

‘Not ideal’

Spain’s Finance Minister, Luis de Guindos, led the backlash to the Dutch minister’s comments, despite sharing a seat around the Eurogroup table.

“I do not think that Portugal, Greece, Cyprus or Ireland have wasted money,” he said. “Solidarity is important.”

“They lent us $40billion, but we have lent other countries a similar amount and making such comparisons is not ideal.”

Gianni Pittella, the Italian MEP who leads the European Socialist group, called for Mr Dijsselbloem to resign, saying he is “not fit to be president of the Eurogroup”.

Greece is still at odds with other countries in the eurozone about reforms that were part of the condition of the bailout extended to the country at the time of the crisis in 2015.

Conspiracy of Fire Nuclei

Mr Dijsselbloem was the target of a letter bomb in Brussels last week, sent by a Greek far-left group called the Conspiracy of Fire Nuclei.

He and other figures prominent in European economic affairs, including IMF chief Christine Lagarde, had bombs sent to them, but no one was hurt.

Despite his prominent position in European politics, Mr Dijsselbloem is likely to lose his job in the Dutch government soon after his Labour Party’s disastrous performance in last week’s election.

However, he has indicated he may attempt to stay on in the job until the end of the year.