Debt: Tsipras calls “a discount of 30%” and “a period of … – Les Echos

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras wanted Friday at a televised speech, “a discount of 30% ” of Greek debt and “a 20-year grace period “ to provide ” The debt sustainability “ of his country.

After welcoming the published on Thursday the report from the International Monetary Fund in the same direction about a Greek debt reached about 176% of GDP, the Prime Minister regretted that this institution’s position “has never presented by creditors (in Athens) during the five months of negotiations “ went on further financial assistance to the country. Three days before the referendum, the IMF has estimated Thursday at 50 billion euros financing needs of the country between October 2015 and October 2018, and drastically lowered its growth forecast for this year, bringing them to 0%. To fill this budget gap, the Fund called on Europeans to provide 36 billion euros of fresh money and ease the burden of Greek debt restructuring that Europe should bear the burden.

Passes weapons

The head of the eurozone, Jeroen Dijsselbloem had, shortly before the declaration Alexis Tsipras, estimated Thursday that the figures used by the IMF was “obsolete” . For glazing current heated exchanges between Europe and Greece, President of the Eurogroup and Dutch Minister of Finance also said Friday that the statements of its Greek counterpart Yanis Varoufakis, who said Friday morning that agreement was “to” with the country’s creditors, “the answer is yes or no” in the referendum, and that discussions continued behind the scenes with the European institutions with the approach of the weekend referendum were “absolutely false” . “There were no new proposals to Athens,” he said.

For good measure, the German Minister of Finance Wolfgang Schäuble has warned his side that any new negotiations with Athens would take “a moment” , even if the “yes” of the Greeks to the planned referendum on Sunday. After the vote, “the Greeks can apply to open negotiations” , but these would take place “on a completely new basis and in a deteriorating context” he said in an interview with German tabloid “Bild” to be published Saturday.

Greece officially in “default”, but without immediate consequences, as the EFSF

The European financial rescue fund (EFSF), the main creditor of Greece, said on Friday that it reserved the right to demand early repayment of € 130.9 billion due from Athens after his failure on Tuesday a maturity of 1.6 billion euros owed to the International Monetary Fund. But specifying have decided to limit to reserve the right to act later, “without demanding immediate repayment.”
Regling, the Executive Director of the Fund, has favored this recommendation over two other options: give up these claims, or demand immediate repayment, which would have forced the other countries of the euro area, contributors EFSF to heavy losses on loans to Greece

. Sources: AFP, Reuters