Swiss MP To Greece: We’ll Take An Island In Return For Your Debts

A Swiss politician has called for the nation to take advantage of the Greek crisis to establish a Swiss empire overseas by taking an island in return for the money Athens owes.

The unusual suggestion was made by Pierre Rusconi, a member of parliament from Switzerland’s largest party, the traditionalist Swiss People’s Party, which had lately campaigned against immigration and the nation becoming in any way more closely integrated with Europe. Citing French overseas territories in the Indian Ocean, Rusconi said Switzerland could establish an exclave in Greece, reports TheLocal.ch.

He said Switzerland should have an island in the Aegean in return for the money they had lent to Greece which he said “Switzerland will probably never see again”. The aquisition would give Switzerland a coastline for the first time in history, giving ample opportunities for military exercises for the Swiss navy, presently trapped on lake Geneva. Rusconi suggests a Swiss hotel complex in the Eastern Mediterranean would be nice, as would an aquatic training centre for the Alpine nations athletes.

The suggestion comes only weeks after property experts suggested Greece would look to pay down some of its debts by indulging in a “fire sale” of government owned assets, which includes an estimated 1,200 Islands. Although Greek Islands routinely come on the market at reasonable prices – even less in some cases than central London flats – a sudden glut could depress prices further and make them attractive investments to foreigners.

If that is the case, Switzerland may need more than one island to consider cancelling its debts to Greece.

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