Greek Crisis: Hollande and Merkel are trying to join forces – Le Figaro

VIDEOS – Before the summit Tuesday, the French president and the German chancellor called Monday night in a statement seeking unity, Alexis Tsipras to make proposals “serious and credible” <. / p>

Black and white, chiaroscuro. Opening a hand firmly on the other. Solidarity one hand, responsibility of the other. Francois Hollande and Angela Merkel, who intervened on Monday night from the Élysée, after a work meeting in the office of the President, took note of the Greek vote, they say “respect”. Highly anticipated on this, they indicated that the “door of negotiations” (Holland), the “dialogue” (Merkel), remained “open”. So much for openness. Then came a firm component. The President and the Chancellor have put pressure on the Greek prime minister, Alexis Tsipras, urging him to make proposals “serious and credible”, for “this desire to remain in the euro area can be translated with a program” sustainable , launched the Head of State. Merkel was still further, ensuring that, at present, the “basic conditions” were “not satisfied” to reach an agreement.

The Chancellor recalled that the EU had already shown a lot of “generosity” towards Greece. And also need to take into account the positions of members of the euro zone have a “shared sovereignty”. In other words, if the Greeks expressed themselves democratically, it was the turn of the members of the eurozone to say whether or not they want Greece to remain in their club. The Franco-German couple has finally stressed the “urgency”. For Greece and for Europe.

On display as a united and strong torque, while the euro area is subject to strong shaking, was also a way reassure

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Having remained silent since the Greek vote, Hollande and Merkel held to adopt a common position on the eve of a summit of the euro area at very high risk, so that a majority of Europeans would support the Grexit. Appear as a united and strong torque, while the euro area is subject to strong shaking, was also a way to reassure the markets. It was also clear differences of the past week, during which the President and the Chancellor had defended opposing positions, the first calling for an immediate agreement with the Greeks, while the second, annoyed by the attitude of Tsipras , did not want to hear about negotiations before the election. But while the fate of Greece should result in the coming days, in a highly flammable environment, it was no longer, for one as for the other, to go it alone. “In times of turmoil, we must return to fundamentals, decrypts Elyos advisor. Now these fundamentals, it is France and Germany. “

French side, the day Monday was devoted to an attempt to strengthen one by one, the son of a negotiation that s’ was shattered on the referendum. Francois Hollande, who had lunch with his Prime Minister Manuel Valls, took the phone Prokopis Pavlopoulos Greek President, President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Junker and Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel. The French negotiators have mostly worked to reconcile points of view between Paris and Berlin. Hollande and Merkel were in fact agree on two crucial issues

The first was the principle of the negotiations. Should they, can they take? Holland is favorable since the start. But Berlin was more closed. In the morning, a Chancellery spokesman was thus held that “the conditions for negotiations on a new assistance program” were not met. Before the Greek government published a little later, a statement assuring that Merkel was “agreed” that Athens make proposals to the EU summit. The joint statement from Holland and Merkel raised doubts. “Little by little, the bird builds its nest,” is do we welcomed in the president’s entourage, which explain that François Hollande has “triggered a small machine,” which leads to each other get back to the negotiating table; a great step forward, in view of the tension of the day before.

The Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel called for Monday afternoon in Athens new proposals that go ” beyond the previous “and” beyond what (Tsipras) said he was ready until then “

However, your second question to solve: if negotiations are beautiful and resume, under what conditions and on what basis? There are some days, projecting on the “day after”, the French negotiators privately emitted the hypothesis of a resumption of talks where they were arrested just before the announcement of the referendum. In the middle of last week Tspiras was ready to endorse the document of institutions, with some amendments. An agreement was then imminent, before Merkel “pulls the carpet, at the last moment,” as says a folder specialist. From the latter document would be the way to reach a rapid agreement. But before Sunday, the French negotiators doubted that Germany, which wants to punish Athens have complicated the game with the referendum, to accept this “flower” in Greek Prime Minister. Tsipras would be crowned with a double victory: that of not in the poll, which has strengthened internally, and that an agreement wrested in Brussels. In fact, the Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel called for Monday afternoon in Athens new proposals that go “beyond the previous” and “beyond what (Tsipras) said he was ready until then” . A prerequisite, he said, for keeping Greece in the euro area. That the accused Greek.

“Merkel can not assume the output of Greece. It would take a historic responsibility that would tie his hands on everything that can happen after “

If the Elysée welcomed Monday night to see a” little mayonnaise “ride, however, there remained extremely careful. Sunday night, Hollande has indeed been able to measure the stiffening institutions and European capitals against Athens, many hoped the departure of Greece from the eurozone. Always eager to play a conciliatory role, and avoid worst-case scenario, this “leap into the unknown,” the President is not in a strong position on the European stage, where the Grexit scenario was installed. “Merkel can not assume the output of Greece. It would take a historic responsibility that would tie his hands on everything that can happen after “cautions a senior official of the majority, for whom Berlin was very firm on Monday to” compel Tsipras to be reasonable. ” “This is the big uncertainty: how Tsipras will he behave Tuesday ?, asks a government source. Impossible to say, it was becoming increasingly difficult to identify him. He did not seem to be well aware of the atmosphere of hostility that exists in its place. Now the ball is in his court. “Ironically, or sign of destiny, just before meeting Merkel on Monday night, Holland gave several credentials in a salon of the Élysée. Including one in the future … Greece ambassador in Paris.