Twitter users call for German boycott over Greece

Following the announcement of the eurozone's 86-billion-euro ($95-billion) bailout proposal on Monday, #BoycottGermany began to trend on Twitter and quickly became the most talked about hashtag. Web analytics service Topsy recorded more than 16,300 entries in just a number of hours.

The bailout agreement has been met with much criticism from eurozone critics due to the tough austerity measures which Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is now working to pass through parliament.

Other users went for a more humorous approach, making the most of German stereotypes.

But despite the widespread effort to snub the German economy, industries at the heart of Europe are far from fearful of any major damage.

"We're taking this seriously, but there's no reason to panic," Volker Treier, head of the German Foreign Trade Chamber of Commerce (DIHK), told the Reuters news agency on Tuesday. "There have been such calls, time and again since the beginning of the Greek crisis. They largely fizzle out without any effect."

"In Greece there's also support for the reforms," he added. "The agreement is a huge sigh of relief for the local economy."

Echoing Treier's lack of concern for the boycott was Germany's Foreign Trade Association, the BGA.

"We are globally positioned, have good products and are reliable - that's what counts," said BGA President Anton Börner.

"Strong emotions are being stirred up here. But they'll settle down again," he added.

Several Germans also responded to the trending hashtag by means of their own social media quips, with @salzmanufaktur tweeting a picture of a German sports car and a donkey cart, followed by the caption "#BoycottGermany and have fun!"

ksb/cmk (Reuters)