Schaeuble denies 'going too far' with Greece

Wolfgang Schaeuble has fended off criticism of being too harsh on Greece as finance minister of Germany.

Commenting during Deutsche Welle's "Conflict Zone" interview program on the European Commission decision to reject Italy's draft budget saying it represents a deviation from agreed targets, Schaeuble said, "I would have enjoyed if all these people who are now saying this in relation to Italy would have supported me in the times when we tried to tell the Greek people that they have to respect the rules."

Asked about criticism that he "went too far with Greece," Schaeuble, who is now president of Germany's Bundestag or lower house of parliament, denied the allegation.

"The accusation in my Parliament has been that I have been too generous in relation to Greece. And that was also true because Greece didn't respect the rules."