Harris Georgiades - Minister of Finance, Republic of Cyprus
Zeinab Badawi speaks to Harris Georgiades, finance minister of Cyprus, who believes that the economy is proving more resilient than expected. Is he being too optimistic?
When Harris Georgiades became finance minister of Cyprus in 2013 some said he had been handed a poisoned chalice. He has had to preside over tough austerity measures that are driving up poverty levels in the country. The economy is shrinking, unemployment will perhaps reach 20% this year and wages are being slashed. These were the tough conditions of a 10 billion euro bailout granted last year with the troika of the European Central Bank, the EU and the IMF to avoid a collapse of the banking system in Cyprus. So why then does the finance minister believe that the economy is proving more resilient than expected? Is he being too optimistic?
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