'Grexit' better for Athens and Europe, says editor of Germany's Bild

By Erik Kirschbaum BERLIN (Reuters) - Greece should leave the euro zone to save its own economy and to spare the rest of the Europe Union a lot of time, trouble and money, the editor of Germany's influential newspaper Bild said in an interview with Reuters on Friday. Kai Diekmann's daily is read by some 12 million and has, more than any other newspaper, shaped public opinion in Germany, the biggest European contributor to the bailout programmes that have kept Greece afloat for the past five years. "If the Greeks really want to get their economy back on its feet, they don't have any alternative," he said. "After leaving the euro they could head off in a new direction with the drachma, devalue it and become competitive." Diekmann, whose newspaper often publishes provocative headlines about Greece, said the bailouts had utterly failed and Greeks would do the euro zone a service by leaving. "The Greece crisis wouldn't take up peoples' time, money and energy anymore..," he said. "On top of that a 'Grexit' would be cheaper than the so-called rescue efforts, which in reality are nothing more than a bottomless pit." Diekmann noted that Greece's Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis had told Bild this week that Greece could not raise taxes because it would lower revenues as people avoid paying. "To continue sending money to someone like that is just insane," he said. "Confidence in the EU is all but gone now." Asked how he thought the euro zone crisis would unfold, Dikeman said he could not venture a guess. "It's solely up to the government in Athens if it comes to a 'Grexit' or not. And they certainly aren't going to let themselves be influenced by Bild." He said he wished Bild had got it all wrong with Greece. "To be completely honest, I wish that Bild hadn't be right," said Diekmann, whose newspaper famously called upon the Greek government in 2010 to sell off its islands to raise cash. He said he has nothing personally against Greece. "It may surprise you but I've got a great affinity for Greece," he said. "I've been spending my summer holidays in Turkey for many years and I always take a trip from there to Greece. Personally, I've got a strong attachment to the country and its people." (Reporting by Erik Kirschbaum; Editing by Sophie Walker)