"If the Greeks do what they are required to and the Europeans continue to show solidarity, then I have no doubts", he told Swiss newspaper Tages-Anzeiger. "According to the treaty we cannot kick out the Greeks anyway," he said. "If we force them out or push them so much that they resign, we would still be forced to support Greece and would today have to invest unimaginable sums. That would be at least as expensive as the now virtual costs of the aid credits up to now." He was speaking in an interview published the day after German Chancellor Angela Merkel told Greece to make up its mind fast on accepting the painful terms for a new EU/IMF bailout. Greece's political leaders responded by delaying their decision for another day.