With almost 70% of Europeans already believing that Greece is a drag on the EU economy, this morning's statement by Greek Alternate Finance Minister Dimitris Mardas - coming just a week after the war-raparations committee was set-up, telling lawmakers in Parliament that he has calculatedthat Germany owes Greece EUR 278.7 billion in World War II reparations, will surely deepen the rift (at almost 40% of Germany's EUR 735 billion GDP) whether right or wrong.

As Bloomberg reports,

Greece's total war reparations claim amounts to EUR 278.7b, Greek Alternate Finance Minister Dimitris Mardas tells lawmakers in Parliament.

The claim was calculated by Greece's General Accounting Office, which has collected archival material.

This includes a EU10.3b repayment of loan country was forced to make to Germany during Nazi occupation...