The Greeks are not wealthier than the Germans, Prime Minister Antonis Samaras told German newspaper Bild, referring to recent reports based on an European Central Bank (ECB) survey that Greeks are on average wealthier than the Germans.

The prime minister is no stranger to election campaign strategies, so it's no surprise that during a forum called “Democracy Dare”, his speech was filled with deological references instead of financial news. He laid out the principles of a post recession social contract based on what he called “social liberalism”.

Reuters reports that Antonis Samaras is under growing pressure as polls show the Syriza party steadily gaining ground against the ruling parties ahead of local and EU elections in May.