Greek Government rejects proposal from eurozone – The Standard

Greek Government rejects proposal from eurozone – The Standard

The Greek Government rejects a proposal by the eurozone countries to address the financial problems of the country. But time is running out. By the end of this month, Greece fresh money to avoid bankruptcy.

On Monday, the eurozone finance ministers met in a final attempt to find an agreement on the approach to the Greek debt crisis. The support and reform program for Greece will expire on February 28 and should be extended.

But the meeting was a measure of anything. The proposal that was on the table, according to Greek government sources in Athens unacceptable ‘and’ illogical ‘. “Loss of time,” as he said.

According to leaked versions of the draft Declaration Greece would need to agree to extend the current support program for the country for six months and carry out the associated conditions. However, the new government in Athens wants to get rid of some of the measures imposed and categorically refuses to extend the program. That meeting ended sooner than expected.

Nevertheless, according Varoufakis suffers “no doubt” that the eurozone countries and Greece “in the next 48 hours” will come to an agreement. It is about finding the right formulation, according to the Greek. So wanted Varoufakis immediately in their own words put his signature to a compromise text of Commissioner Pierre Moscovici, but which was, according to him swept for the beginning of the meeting table by Dijsselbloem. Varoufakis also denied playing bluff. “Nobody has the right to play games with the future of Europe,” he said.

Ball in Greek camp

Eurogroup chairman Jeroen Dijsselbloem said after the consultations that the euro group remains committed to an extension of the current support program for Greece . According Dijssel Boom is ‘obvious’ that the ball is in the camp of the Greeks. They must agree to an extension. It is now up to them to decide what they want. “

But there is urgent, yet Dijsselbloem said. The Greeks getting Europe still ‘about week, not more. “

Any Greek request must first be examined by experts from the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Only afterwards the eurozone finance ministers would meet again. Within the framework of an extension of the program, which expires at the end this month, there can be talk of easing measures, says Dijsselbloem.

Knife in the throat

This put the euro countries, the Greek Government knife at the throat. The new, by the leftist party SYRIZA dominated government does not want to know of a continuation of the current program and even wants to scale back a number of measures. At the same time, however, the government continues to rely on financial support.

“There remain opportunities to reach a settlement, but it is clear that the Greek government must take a step in the direction of the euro zone,” responded the Belgian Minister Johan van Overtveldt after the meeting. According to him, there is “a fairly broad consensus that this is the only way to progress.”