The finance ministers of the member states of the euro area – the Euro – and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are found indeed in Luxembourg to try to find a solution to this crisis, which would allow Greece to obtain the billion euros in loans needed to maintain it afloat, all in return for promises of reform meeting other Europeans.
But the key stakeholders do not strongly doubt hid a positive outcome.
Starting with Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis who interviewed Wednesday on the possibility of resolving the issue of Greek debt during the meeting the next day, responded: “ I think not “,” Now it is the politicians who must reach agreement “.
His German counterpart, Wolfgang Schäuble, has also admitted to having little hope of an outcome on this occasion, while the European Commissioner for Economic Affairs, Pierre Moscovici, has been content to hope this appointment would be “ helpful “.
The Greek Deputy Foreign Minister, Euclid Tsakalotos, chief representative of Athens in negotiations with creditors (ECB, IMF, EU), considers in this respect, in an interview published Thursday in the French daily Libération, the latter “ do not appear ready to compromise “.
“ Our interlocutors insist each time on pension cuts. This is unrealistic in a country where they have already been considerably reduced for five years, and where two-thirds of pensioners live below the poverty line , “he notes.
“ If Europe insists on pensions, it will have to accept the price “, has hammered alongside the prime minister Alexis Tsipras (radical left), which for the first time since the failure of previous talks last week briefly discussed Wednesday with European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker.
“ Tsipras called Juncker. They talked a few minutes and agreed to talk later, no date has been set “, told the AFP a European official, that the two men will meet again “ in the coming days “.
Once is not custom, it is the president of the euro area, Jeroen Dijsselbloem, who will drive the resumption of dialogue between the two parties in Luxembourg, what came an incentive for restraint against “ hasty conclusions “.
Alexis Tsipras, accompanied by a cohort of ministers, will, meanwhile, Russia from Thursday to an economic forum in St. Petersburg, and a meeting Friday with President Vladimir Putin. One of the major challenges of this movement is possible Greek participation in Turkish Stream gas pipeline project of Russian giant Gazprom, which irritates Europe and the United States.
– Increasing pressures –
At the same time, the warnings are multiplying.
On a visit to Athens, Amanda Sloat, an official of the US State Department, and stressed “ emergency that Greece make a not ” in order to ” reach a pragmatic compromise with his creditors “.
“ In the event that there would not agree, I anticipate possible disruption that could affect the economic outlook in Europe and the financial markets in the world “blurted the president of the US central bank (Fed) Janet Yellen.
“ Greece Defaulted then at the end, leaving the country in the euro zone and, most likely, the European Union “, for his warned by the Bank of Greece in its annual report, while judging that “ some way to go ” towards a compromise.
Meanwhile, the British Treasury said on Wednesday it was preparing for the possibility of a Greek default risk which is “ growing “.
Analysts German bank Berenberg, mutual misunderstanding between Greece and its creditors, which has increased in recent days, in fact, makes the scenario of a last-minute agreement on the release of vital tranche of loans of 7.2 billion euros less likely that a Greek exit from the eurozone.
The pressure came from the ranks of the party in power Syriza (radical left) is also strong, not to mention that of the street, having 7,000 people gathered Wednesday night for example in the center of Athens to demand “ the end of the sacrifices “.
If the effort required to Greece by its creditors is now three times lower, with a primary surplus target – before payment of the debt burden – revised 1% of GDP in 2015 against 3% previously, the means to achieve these economies continue to divide the Greek government and institutions (EU, ECB, IMF) that lend him money since she was plunged into crisis in late 2009 due to debt explosive public.
Still, without the green light from the past, Greece would be unable to repay the 1.5 billion euros owed to the IMF at the end of June.
The last opportunity to find a solution could be the EU summit scheduled for late June or a special summit in the meantime.
No comments:
Post a Comment