The Eurogroup set a deadline of the end of the week for Greece request an extension of the current program of financial assistance, the Government of Athens unacceptable. “This program is part of the solution not the problem,” responded the Greek Minister Yanis Varoufakis, manifested confident an agreement in the next two days.
It is “very clear that the next step should come from the Greek authorities,” he said on Monday, the President of the Eurogroup, Jeroen Dijsselbloem, after the meeting of the ministers of the euro zone Finance, aft er the Greek refusal of an extension of six months of the program. “Looking at the calendar, we can use this week, but that’s all,” he said.
Asked about the possibility of a new meeting of the Eurogroup, on Friday, Dijsselbloem stated that a meeting that day only would take place in the case of Greece apply for extended assistance program, a scenario that Athens away.
A responsible Greek Government had told Reuters, still with the meeting taking place, that draft text of the a proposal presented at the meeting of the Eurogroup insisted on the extension of the current program of troika , which the Greek executive unacceptable.
“The in of resistance some people the idea of the Greek Government to implement the troika’s program is unreasonable and can not be accepted. In these circumstances, there can not be an agreement, “the source told Reuters the Greek Government, which was not identified. The statement confirmed the various pessimism signals the entrance to the Eurogroup meeting, which ended after four hours.
In a press conference after the meeting, Varoufakis said the Commissioner for Economic Affairs, Pierre Moscovici , you presented this Monday a statement of preliminary draft would be willing to sign at the time but that, he said, was removed by Dijsselbloem in favor of a different text that undid the progress that have been said in recent days. “The history of the EU shows that the ultimatums not been anything good,” said Greek Prime Minister and reaffirmed the hope an agreement with the European partners.
“I have no doubt that in the next 48 hours Europe will submit ourselves [a document] so we can begin the real work “to reach a” new contract “that is” good for Greece and good for Europe, “he said.
In Athens the Defense Minister Panos Kammenos, leader of the Independent Greeks party, which is part of the government led by Syriza left party, also reacted to the euro zone ultimatum. “We will not ask any extension, the people have a warrant to go all the way. The Greeks together say no. We are not chantagearão” he wrote in his Twitter account.
Despite the lack of agreement of the second -Thurs, the ministers of the Eurogroup are available for new talks if and when Greece will express an extension of the program, said after the meeting, Commission Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis.
on any new meeting, said: “It depends on the decision of the Greek authorities. It was clear that if and when there is a request to extend the rescue program, if certain commitments from the Greek authorities to join the program, then the president of the Eurogroup will announce the next [meeting]. “
“There is no alternative to the extension of the program,” said the commissioner Moscovici. “We will continue to dialogue this week.”
German reviews
The fact that there was no agreement can not be considered very surprising. The day began with Wolfgang Schäuble to qualify the Greek government as “irresponsible.”
“I pity the Greek citizens. They elected a government that currently behaves in a very irresponsible way “said German Finance Minister on Monday morning in an interview with Deutschlandfunk radio.
At the entrance of the Eurogroup meeting, and despite the technical level discussions that took place this weekend week between the Greek government and the European Commission reaffirmed be “very skeptical”.
“So far everything I have learned not reinforced my optimism. It seems that we have no results. “
Asked if would be on the table an extension of the current program or a new program, clearly put the responsibility on the side of the Greeks.
“While the Greek Government does not want any program do not need to think about options,” said Schäuble.
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