MILAN – There was the white smoke, but the sky over Berlin seems to cheer. “It was a good meeting, we will continue in the coming days,” says the president of the Eurogroup Jeroen Dijsselbloem leaving the EU Commission after meeting Tsipras and Juncker. The greek premier was more cautious: “I believe that in the coming days we will be closer to the agreement but we must conclude the discussions from a realist point of view.” It clarifies that Greece still refuses to accept some of the new economic policy measures proposed by the creditors. “There are points – says Tsipras – that no one would want to consider as a basis for discussion.”
Beyond the skirmishes, you can see on the horizon a valid mediation to overcome the division between hawks and doves. The parts, called to discuss two reform plans, are developing a valid agreement to unlock 7.2 billion of international aid. The Greek premier, Alexis Tsipras , delivered to Brussels Group (the former Troika) the 47 pages that make up the proposed ‘Made in Athens’, as he is closing the creditors (EU, IMF, ECB ). And the programs have been the focus of the meeting between the EU Commission President, Jean Claude Juncker, and the same Tsipras, in Brussels.
As for content, the international creditors have proposed to Greece lower targets for the primary budget surplus, a kind of openness and demand for child sacrifices to the greek people. Tsipras has confirmed the agreement on TV on target budget with France and Germany: the primary surplus (the difference between expenditure and revenue, net of interest on the debt) will be 1% in 2015, 2% in 2016, 3 % in 2017 and 3.5% in 2018. In the previous agreement signed with the old Troika, the primary surplus should be 3% this year and 4.5% next. The greek government asked a target of 0.8% in 2015 and 1% for 2016. remain flat on the reform of VAT, which should bring more revenue, and those of Work and Pensions. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande confirmed to the agency a telephone interview “constructively” with the greek prime minister, on the “need” to reduce the objectives.
Moreover, in the course of ‘intense day diplomatic statements of EU leaders – AC – fed and off the optimism, reopening the division into camps of hawks and doves within Europe. The Athens Stock Exchange celebrated with a hike. The more convinced it was the French President, Francois Hollande : “It must have done everything possible, while respecting people’s greek but also respecting the rules that Europe is given to find a negotiated settlement in a sustainable manner, “he said. The concept of “sustainability” has been taken over by Mario dragons : the ECB governor, in the conference after the Executive Eurotower, pointed out that the solution must be articulated both in the objective of growth and equity social, and sustainability of public finances. In the ranks of the minister possibilists Italian Pier Carlo Padoan . Angela Merkel has merely acknowledged that he worked “feverishly” to get the go-ahead. A cheer in a happy end was also the White House, for which the story “has a worldwide impact.”
From the Government of Merkel, however, also they have expired headwinds. In particular with the hawk Wolfgang Schaeuble , for which the proposals prepared by Athens justify pessimism. “I learned something (as the proposals of Greece, ed ), but my first impressions do not change however the statements I have already expressed, or rather confirm them,” he stated, adding: “So far I have not received no information that something decisive has changed substantially. ” Even more extreme the Finnish Foreign Minister, Timo Solini , who described the Hellenic Peninsula as a “financial black hole” is not able to repay the loans. Just Friday, however, expires a tranche of 305 million to the IMF: a new date marked in red on the calendar, as the Greek coffers are dry.
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