Scepticism in Athens after consultation Brussels – Financieele Dagblad (Registration)

The EU and the IMF would together can lend some € 18 billion to Greece if there is an agreement with the country on an extension The lending program. According to sources close to the negotiations, not only the final installment of the old loans of € 7.2 billion can be lent, but is also estimated at € 10.9 billion, which was intended to strengthen bank balance sheets but never used .

This proposal would in negotiations Wednesday evening until the wee hours of Thursday morning in Brussels the Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras president with Jean -Claude Juncker of the European Commission and the Dutch Minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem the table come. Dijsselbloem was in Brussels in his capacity as chairman of the Eurogroup, the finance ministers of the euro countries. He said Thursday expected to Athens to make proposals for the package of measures that the EU had presented in Brussels to the Greeks.

Privatization, pensions, tax

According to the same sources of Athens Brussels would require around negotiations that more state enterprises are privatized, the pensions are reduced further and and flying is put behind labor market reforms. Athens must also increase VAT so that she can get an additional revenue of € 1.8 billion within. Deleting an allowance for pensioners with low pensions would be another € 800 million to bring in the drawer.

In Greek government circles is reacted with skepticism on the outcome of the nightly discussions in Brussels. Interior Minister Nikos Voutsis said for Skai radio station: “I see the glass as half empty and then I give my feelings even in an optimistic way again. Nobody can see the glass as half full, the text submitted can not serve as a basis for negotiations. “

Troika

Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis Thursday seemed more moderate. He did not see any reason to hold early elections. From the circle of ruling party SYRIZA in recent weeks suggested that there should only follow early elections or a referendum, if the government would be forced to swallow rescue proposals that election promises are broken SYRIZA. According Varoufakis, all that is needed because the government has a “clear mandate”.

Difference smaller

Dijsselbloem said Thursday that the difference in views between the EU and Greece had become smaller. The talks in Brussels had been under Dijsselbloem ‘success in narrowing the differences. ” He added, however, that the differences were still “quite large”. Dijsselbloem warned that Greece reduces the chance of an agreement as too many topics as ‘taboo’ qualifies. Dijsselbloem indicated that, especially in the case of pension reforms still major differences of opinion. According to the minister, it is unlikely that on Friday an agreement can be reached.

Closer

A spokesman for the European Commission said on Thursday: “There is a certain convergence of positions in some areas, but there are also points where the views still diverge. ” Juncker Dijsselbloem and Tsipras will meet each other again in the coming days, but a date has not been pinned. Various media reported on Thursday that the meeting would take place every Friday. But Dijsselbloem seemed to speak against it: “It makes no sense to arrange a meeting if there is no clear view on further progress.”