German minister plays Sudoku while Athens squirms

GERMAN Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble was criticised yesterday for playing Sudoku on a small computer during a crucial parliamentary debate on Greece, becoming a lightning rod for the growing opposition in Germany to the latest bailout.

His spokesman defended him against charges of arrogance for playing the game while on the government bench during the debate, saying Schaeuble had worked tirelessly for 10 consecutive days on behalf of German interests.

Schaeuble has been one of the most popular members of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government for his no-nonsense style and his tight grip on spending, but his arm-twisting of legislators in his party to support Greece has made him vulnerable to attacks.

An opinion poll on Sunday in Bild am Sonntag found Germans, who are making the largest contribution to the euro zone bailout for Greece, overwhelmingly oppose further aid to Athens.

German public broadcaster ARD first aired pictures on Monday evening of a smiling Schaeuble appearing to play Sudoku on his partly concealed computer while a member of the centreright coalition spoke in favour of the second Greek rescue package.

“Caught! The finance minister was playing Sudoku during the debate,” ARD said. Schaeuble’s spokesman, Martin Kotthaus, said the network later apologised for airing the close-up of Schaeuble’s computer, a violation of parliamentary rules. – Reuters