Papandreou said he had 'heard with great sadness Czech President Vaclav Klaus, a well-known anti-European who now wants to express his populist anti-Europeanism, that he offended Greeks with the statement that Greeks drink their ouzo and enjoy themselves, while Czechs are those who work hard'.

Papandreou was quoted by the Greek paper Kathimerini, referring to the Athens News Agency (APE).

If Europe does not overcome this approach and is isolated in it, this will be the path toward a fragmented Europe, Papandreou said.

The achievements of not only the past decade, but also the past 50-60 years after World War Two will be lost, Papandreou added.

The server megatv.com has written that Papandreou was obviously angry with Klaus's wild attack and used a sharp tone that is not typical of him.

"I do not blame the Greeks," Klaus told the paper.

"Any country should have the choice whether to live with half, a quarter or full determination," he added.

"It should be able to decide itself: we want to sit for more hours in a shadow under cypresses, drinking ouzo, or we want to work more," Klaus said.

"If Greece decides to devote more hours to ouzo or cypresses, it is absolutely all right. Nevertheless, it cannot enter a currency union with Germany," Klaus said in the interview published by Pravo on Saturday.