Greece: ‘We were elected to end the addiction’ – TVI24

Greece: 'We were elected to end the addiction' – TVI24

The Greek Finance Minister professor Yanis Varoufakis economy, said on Sunday, after the meeting with his French counterpart in Paris, which the Greeks chose SYRIZA to end the “vice” of debt.

“We were elected to end the addiction» , said, quoted by Reuters, arguing that the payment of the debt of Athens should be linked to its ability to restore growth.

Varoufakis also ruled that Greece will increase your debt and even used a ridiculous English expression to explain what needs to be done: it’s time to turn ‘cold turkey’, literally, cold turkey . That is, ending it in the bud, as does someone who quits smoking from one day to the other and not back Mai to put a cigarette in his mouth.

The minister intends to go soon to Berlin, seat of the German government, and Frankfurt, the European Central Bank headquarters to explain the position of the Greek government on the debt. “I am willing to go to Berlin (…), to Madrid, Frankfurt» .

“Of course I will go to Berlin” to a meeting with German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble, stressed, in another phase of the press conference, adding that the visit “is essential”, given the importance of Germany in Europe.

On Friday, in a meeting with the president of the Eurogroup, the finance minister of Greece revealed that his country not want to work more with the troika , not being interested in extend the second bailout, but to negotiate an alternative to Europe. Yesterday, the leader of SYRIZA and the Greek prime minister, Alexis Tsipras, said “end austerity implies not break commitments’ . This after German Chancellor Angela Merkel, have refused to forgive more debt to Greece.

France, in turn, showed up on Sunday, available to help Greece to reach an agreement with the European Union. The holder of the Finance folder, Michel Sapin, considers it legitimate to Athens was concerned with the weight of its debt and wants to relieve it.

“Yes, debt is a problem, among others» , took Sapin, at the press conference, alongside Varoufakis.

In addition, stressed that the place of Greece is within the euro zone and said any new agreement with Athens would take into account the extent of structural reforms that are prepared to do, noting that they are condition essential for the country rebuild its competitiveness and return to growth.