'Greece fatigue' felt in EU, says commissioner

Page last updated at 05:35 GMT, Tuesday, January 10, 2012 - 10:35 EST

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A sense of fatigue has descended over relations between Greece and the European Union, with the EU feeling that it has done it all it can to help the cash-strapped country that and now it is entirely up to Greece to make good on its commitments, Maria Damanaki, the Greek European commissioner for maritime affairs and fisheries, told Skai Radio on Tuesday, following a meeting with Greek Prime Minister Lucas Papademos recently.

"There is a sense that the European institutions have done their job and that they are now waiting for results from Greece,» Damanaki said, speaking from Brussels. «The countdown has started. Time is now money, and Greece must speed up its decisions and meet its obligations."

On a more upbeat note, Damanaki said «there is light at the end of the tunnel,» adding, however, «that the dilemmas are very real,» in reference to a possible exit of Greece from the eurozone.

"The dilemmas are not set by [German Chancellor Angela] Merkel or by [French President Nicolas] Sarkozy, or by [European Commission President Jose Manuel] Barroso, or by the Europeans, but by life itself. The euro is not a taboo for Greece, nor should it be taken for granted. The euro ought to be a conscious, political choice, which includes taking responsibility for the unpleasant decisions that go with it. We can't have the delusion that we will remain in the euro -- and this is what the vast majority of Greeks want according to polls -- while at the same time failing to contribute."

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