Athens believes that it is now moving to its creditors – Les Echos

Greek Prime Minister says that Greece has done its part to reach a compromise and it is up to Europe to make his own.

The negotiations between Greece and its creditors resumed today at the technical level in Brussels with the VAT reform menu that should bring more revenue and that of pensions, deemed too generous by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). But, judging by the vindictive tone used by Greek leaders during the weekend, it is not clear that Athens would accept concessions. Before the central committee of his party, Syriza, the prime minister, Alexis Tsipras, has been more than ever risen against its European partners and the IMF. “ We will not give in to irrational demands on issues of VAT, pensions and the labor market, while the architects of the most unsuccessful in the history of program plans Rescue the IMF insist on extreme measures in order not to admit their failure “ he said in front of militant cadres. “ We have made progress in finding common ground, but we have red lines, limits the popular mandate, common sense, and the need to restore growth We undertake not to violate “ added Alexis Tsipras, arguing popular support enjoyed by the government.

On the eve of the weekend in Riga, where they attended the EU summit on the Eastern Partnership, the Franco-German couple, very united in its position vis-à firmness -vis Greece had found that “ much left to do ” and the need “ work very very intensively . “ Merkel, Hollande had asked Alexis Tsipras to accelerate reforms to achieve the end of May in a deal that also meets the ECB and the IMF. But the Greek Prime Minister said that “ will not accept humiliating conditions ” . “ We did what we had to do, it is now the turn of Europe ” he said Saturday. A signal endgame, confirmed Sunday by the Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis: “We did three quarters of the way; Creditors do the last quarter “ he told the BBC.

No margin maneuvering

In an interview with Deutschlandfunk radio, the German finance minister, Wolfgang Schäuble, said Sunday that Greece had no discretion and should complete the current economic program. “ The problems have their origin in Greece , has he said, and Greece must fulfill its commitments. “From Lisbon, his French counterpart, Michel Sapin, estimated that an outflow of Athens Eurozone would be ” a disaster for Greece and a problem for Eurozone “without the slightest opening.

The pressure is on Greece, which in his interior minister, will not be able to honor the upcoming repayments to the IMF: “ The four payments to the IMF in June represented 1.6 billion euros. This money will not be given and there is none to “ said on Sunday Nikos Voutsis any more inclined to compromise than his colleague of Finance: ” The government, he said, is determined to fight against the asphyxiation strategy “ conducted by its creditors.

Catherine Chatignoux