Germany's economy minister rejected on Sunday speculation that Greece should abandon the eurozone and return to the drachma, arguing that this would only weaken Europe at a time when it needs to be strengthened.
"I am not for that ... rather I am much more of the opposite opinion," Rainer Bruederle told Reuters on the sidelines of an internal parliamentary group meeting of the Free Democrats (FDP) in Berlin.
"Our goal instead must be to strengthen Europe."
On Saturday, fellow FDP MP Frank Schaeffler said Germany should constructively support Athens should it choose to leave the eurozone. Bruederle said the Greeks needed time to execute their reforms, something made more difficult by constant market talk over a possible debt restructuring and now an exit from the eurozone.