Grexit advocate Paul Krugman points to successful Greek coronavirus response

American economist Paul Krugman, one of the more vocal proponents of a Greek exit from the euro during the 2009-2019 debt crisis, is pointing to Greece as one of the countries that have successfully managed to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

“Crushing the curve isn’t easy, but it’s very possible. In fact, many other countries, from South Korea to New Zealand to, believe it or not, Greece have already done it,” Krugman writes in an op-ed in the New York Times.

“Bringing the infection rate way down was a lot easier for countries that acted quickly to contain the coronavirus, while the rate was still low, rather than spending many weeks in denial,” he said.

Krugman, who had argued that Greece would be better off outside the eurozone, advised the US administration to “stay the course” of restriction measures, warning of the risks of a premature opening of the American economy.