The President of the European Central Bank ( ECB ) Mario Draghi assured Wednesday, June 3 that the institution wanted to keep Greece in the euro area, but needed for it “a solid agreement” between Athens and its creditors.
“The Board of Governors of the ECB is that Greece remains in the euro area” , Mario Draghi insisted, citing “a common will and strong determination” to find a solution.
But for that “we need a strong agreement” that is to say “that produces growth, including social justice, is sustainable from a budgetary point of view and ensures financial stability “of Greece, he stressed.
These criteria are those that account for ECB , but also for the other two institutions that are negotiating with Athens, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the European Commission, he said.
Mario Draghi declined to comment on the ongoing negotiations, which he said are “moving”. The institutions, the ex-Troika and the Greek government have now “both sets of proposals, which are placed face to face,” he has said.
Draghi will not be in Brussels on Wednesday evening
The Greek prime minister, Alexis Tsipras, should present Wednesday evening in Brussels the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, its proposals of 46 pages according to Athens. Institutions work with their own proposals, which will, according to Berlin, “the basis for discussions”.
Mario Draghi said he would not go to Brussels on Wednesday.
The Greek beleaguered government is negotiating since late February with the three institutions to obtain, in exchange for commitments to reforms, the release of billions of euros in financial aid. Discussions trampled for months, and despite recent progress, still stumble notably on the labor market and pension reforms in Greece.
ECB refuses until negotiations are not concluded to meet a bonds emission ceiling Treasury that requires Greece. She also closed to Greek banks its regular refinancing operations until the horizon was not cleared and “we’re not there yet,” said Mario Draghi.
However, soon as an agreement on the table, what European leaders are working, “everything else will follow, and it easily follow,” said he said.
A “few hours “of a” possible solution “according Holland
Francois Hollande has meanwhile said Wednesday that Europe and the international institutions were” a few days “or” a few hours “d a “possible solution” for Greece at a meeting of the OECD in Paris.
“We are a few days, I will not even tell a few hours of a possible settlement “said Francois Hollande stressing that” too much for Greece would prevent the return of growth “in this country” but did nothing or not enough to ask him would affect the entire euro zone “which must also “find the conditions of stability.”
“Everything must be done in conditions which respect the Greek people but also the rules that Europe has set for a solution can be negotiated sustainably, “pleaded the French president.
Questioned by AFP after a speech at the OECD on the fact that no decision was likely to get out of a planned meeting in Brussels between Greek Prime Minister and President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker, the French president replied: “I will have Tsipras on the phone just now, and Mrs Merkel”
<. h4> Wolfgang Schäuble remains pessimistic
Meanwhile, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said on Wednesday that Athens reform proposals at first glance confirmed his pessimism on possibility of an early agreement between Greece and its creditors.
“I took part in knowledge” of the list of reforms proposed by the Greek government. This “does not change the opinion I had expressed” last week on optimism that a quick solution was not justified, “rather it reinforces the” he-he said in Berlin at a press conference.
Last Friday, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble hosted a G7 Finance in Dresden, considered that the “positive news” of the Greek government does “not reflect completely “the advancement of the Athens discussions with its creditors. The Greek government had previously suggested that a deal was imminent, after months of fierce negotiations to unblock financial aid to Athens.
(With AFP)
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