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QUEST MEANS BUSINESS
Aired March 3, 2010 - 14:00:00 ET
Now, let's say with the issue of Greece, which is so much on our agenda, because it's the variety of the crisis. Greece's best known singer, Nana Mouskouri, is doing her bit to help her debt-ridden country. Ms. Mouskouri, who serves as a member of the European Parliament, says she'll give up her pension.
I spoke to her earlier today.
I asked her what good it would do.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NANA MOUSKOURI, GREEK SINGER: Because I think I am Greek and also I worked for five years in the European community as a deputy, a real deputy. So I think when your country is in trouble and there -- with the measures, there are a lot of cutting that would be done anyway. So I just preferred to -- to give my whole pension.
At the moment, my country is the -- is in trouble economically. So I just want to be able to help. There's nothing more than the ambition to be there. Like every Greek, I believe to -- to be there present for the country.
QUEST: This -- this show of solidarity coming at a time when there seems to be an acceptance within Greece about the terrible economic plight. But, of course, the solutions, that causes many disagreements.
MOUSKOURI: I know. But because there are -- it is so complicated to solve and, you know, we are in a -- under a great pressure. And I think Greeks will -- our (INAUDIBLE) will, when the problem is there in front of us, we have to be together. Solidarity is a very important thing. And -- and we are not going to let down our country. And this was very important. I don't think it's a -- it's so much a surprise, because I'm sure that there will be a lot of other colleagues who will do the same thing. And if not, there will be something organized officially for...
QUEST: But...
MOUSKOURI: -- for us. Yes.
QUEST: When we -- on my program, we are a business program, so we have a lot of economists and we have a lot of financiers talking about this. But Ms. Mouskouri, give me an idea, please, of what the ordinary Greek people that you talk to, what are they saying about it?
How -- they -- they accept something has to be done, don't they?
MOUSKOURI: They -- they hope there was something to be -- to be done, absolutely. But the problem is that the ordinary people do not know always what is going on. You know how it is politics, so they just follow up with the news. Up to now, the -- that we did not have the clear situation. But all of a sudden, we are obliged to face reality. And the ordinary people, like you say, they face reality and they're faced with -- with, you know, with this frozen situations. They cannot have a raise. They cannot -- they cut from -- from several things.
So they have to make their living with it and it is normal that they don't understand right away. They have to...
QUEST: Right.
MOUSKOURI: -- learn and to -- to learn to -- to accept it, you see...
QUEST: How...
MOUSKOURI: -- this. And this is very hard.
QUEST: How worried are you for, if you like, the fabric of Greek society as a result of what's taking place?
MOUSKOURI: You know, I just don't want to do -- judge the people. I don't live here so -- all the time. I'm really a very big part of it.
But I think Greece, if following a living like the whole world is living and every -- everything is different. And since, of course, the euro, we are to the euro, everything is more expensive. And they didn't learn to live with it up to now yet, like other countries do.
We are not alone. You know, there -- there are countries like Spain or -- or -- or Portugal or even Italy -- I think the world is the crisis around the world that happened the last two or three years is a strong crisis. Maybe at the beginning, it left out smaller places like -- like Greece.
All of a sudden, they face reality with even more problems.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
QUEST: The comprehensive coverage that you've come to expect from QUEST MEANS BUSINESS.
From Nana Mouskouri to the European commissioner, right the way through to the secretary-general of the OECD. Now, that's what you call coverage.