‘Greece’s economic indicators are better than Germany’s’

Peter Limbourg talks to Kathimerini about the role of the German media during the Greek debt crisis and his childhood years in Athens

“I’ve never been more angry than at the way the Greek crisis was covered by the German media. It was so cheap. Imagine if foreign media covered Germany in the same way. That wasn’t journalism, it was filth. Pure incitement of hatred. ‘Sell your islands’ might sound like an attractive headline, but it’s sheer propaganda. I said it back then to top German politicians, men as well as women, and I can’t understand why they participated, at the beginning of the crisis, in creating this atmosphere,” says Peter Limbourg, director general of Deutsche Welle (DW). “Did you also tell Angela Merkel and Wolfgang Schaeuble?” I ask. He doesn’t want to answer, but smiles enigmatically. “Politicians sometimes don’t understand how much damage they do with a catchy statement in Bild. I find it disgraceful. Germany, in particular, should think twice about the consequences of its actions. We need to curb our tendency for self-aggrandizement and moralizing. We need to work on this.” This doesn’t mean, in his opinion, that the Greeks did everything right; it’s just that these issues should have been discussed in a different way, in order to bring results rather than hurt and humiliate. “I find it very amusing that, at this moment, Greece’s economic indicators are much better than Germany’s. It gives me joy.” We laugh. “The Greeks are enjoying it too,” I reply.

In Greece of the 70s

His time in Greece from 1969 to 1972, when his father served as the German ambassador to the country, marked some of the happiest moments of his childhood. His family lived in the ambassadorial residence in the northern suburb of Halandri. “I visited there last night, and it was quite emotional. The place has undergone complete renovation. While the garden remains unchanged, the surrounding area looks very different. In those days, it was situated in the countryside, with only a couple of old houses around. Now, the residence is surrounded by tall buildings. Everything looks very different.” He shares with me a photo of the illuminated mansion he captured the night before. He appreciates the inclusion of columns reminiscent of ancient Greek architecture. Though I express some reservations, he remains firm in his belief that the renovation is truly impressive. A decade ago, he returned to Athens to be named Commander of the Order of the Phoenix by the then president of the Republic, Karolos Papoulias, in the presence of his daughter. Usually, when he is in Greece, he wears the emblem and feels “a little proud,” not only of himself but also of DW.

The truth is, at the age of 11-12, he hadn’t realized that Greece was under a dictatorship. There was indeed a tense atmosphere – that much he understood. Perhaps the only difference was the daily

playing of the national anthem at school. I point out that they probably still do that. “No, they recently stopped it at the German School of Athens,” he replies. What he remembers most from his childhood years in Athens is the route from the ambassadorial residence to school and the wonderful summer vacations, “three whole months by the sea!” “The Greeks are very friendly with children, and as a child, you sense that,” which is why he clearly had a better time during his father’s tenure in Athens, as well as in Rome – “not so much in Paris.”

This idyllic childhood came to an abrupt end when he was forced to leave Greece hastily due to the Georgios-Alexandros Magkakis case. “I remember one day my father came home and announced

the bad news: ‘Within 48 hours, I have to leave the country, and you have a week to leave the house,’ he said. We were stunned. ‘But why? What did Dad do?’ He explained that he had assisted an opposition politician in escaping, that the circumstances were difficult, that a military aircraft was involved, and that’s why the military dictatorship was expelling him.” The German government was among the few countries that were openly hostile to the dictatorial regime – the British, French and Americans kept their distance, he recalls. “I’m not suggesting we were victims per se, but we certainly felt a sense of loss.” In 1974, when his father returned to the country at the invitation of Konstantinos Karamanlis, he was honored with

the highest distinction. “The same as yours?” I inquire. “No, his is three levels above mine.”

Limbourg’s father, who served as Germany’s ambassador to Greece during the dictatorship, often got into trouble due to DW’s critical coverage. “Was he still alive when you became director general?” “Yes, he lived to be over 100 years old” (ed. note: in 2015), he responds. However, in 1971, his father’s death was erroneously announced, in an early version of fake news. “There were no social media back then, and communications were primitive. The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported his death, while in reality, it was his predecessor who had passed away. They got confused. It was unfortunate because his family read it in Germany, and it wasn’t easy to quickly verify the news by phone. But here’s where the saying ‘Those who are declared dead live longer’ comes into play” [Totgesagte leben laenger].

Bonn bonds

Limbourg often feels more like a manager than a journalist in his daily life, especially when explaining why relocating DW from Bonn is impractical: “Our rent here is relatively low. If we were to move, it would trigger a debate about overcentralizing all services in Berlin. The residents of Bonn would complain, as well as the authorities in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Meanwhile, everything would grind to a halt, and the entire organization would be consumed with the move for three, four, six years. Negotiations with the staff unions would commence, regarding who should relocate and under what conditions. The next hurdle would be determining who would foot the bill for the relocation. And finally, we would need to find a suitable building to house us, and rents in Berlin are currently exorbitantly high. In the past, there were some proposals for Tegel Airport or Humboldt, but they didn’t materialize for various reasons. Therefore, in the immediate future, there will be no relocation because it does not make sense financially.” His aim is to revitalize DW’s Greek service by leveraging social media to engage younger audiences. The challenge with languages spoken by fewer people, such as Greek, is that a small group of journalists is tasked with handling everything: television, radio, website, social media, and this can be overwhelming. Currently, the Greek editorial team comprises six members in Bonn, three in Berlin, four in Athens, and seven correspondents in Nicosia, Istanbul, Rome, Paris, Brussels, London and Sydney. There is ongoing consideration about whether TikTok should be prioritized due to its Chinese ownership, given concerns about data management and algorithm regulation. However, this platform has significant traction among youth. Nonetheless, DW’s guiding principle remains “We are where our users are,” says Limbourg.

I remember one day my father came home and announced the bad news: ‘Within 48 hours, I have to leave the country, and you have a week to leave the house,’ he said. We were stunned

That wasn’t journalism, it was filth. Pure incitement of hatred. ‘Sell your islands’ might sound like an attractive headline, but it’s sheer propaganda. I said it back then to top German politicians

‘Politicians sometimes don’t understand how much damage they do with a catchy statement in Bild. I find it disgraceful. Germany, in particular, should think twice about the consequences of its actions. We need to curb our tendency for self-aggrandizement and moralizing. We need to work on this,’ says Peter Limbourg, director general of Deutsche Welle.