A meeting between Prime Minister Antonis Samaras and his junior partner in the ruling coalition, government vice-president, Foreign Minister and PASOK leader Evangelos Venizelos, was held on Saturday afternoon to discuss the economy and the negotiations with the troika representing Greece’s lenders. The meeting was also attended by Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras.
In statements after the meeting, Venizelos said the meeting had covered the entire range of issues faced by Greece and stressed that this was an exceptionally “busy” six months, during which the sacrifices made by Greeks had to bring results. The country must “reach a clearing” representing an exit from the crisis and the end of bailout memorandums, “in defiance of those who invest politically in the existence of a crisis and the memorandums,” he added.
He also appeared confident that a deal will be struck with the troika representing Greece’s lenders before the next Eurogroup meeting, saying he had a “healthy dose of optimism” fueled by “the very impressive results of the citizens’ sacrifices.”
Venizelos said that the fiscal adjustment achieved by Greece was unique and that the primary surplus was very important, “leaving us now, with only the structural measures that boost competitiveness, which modernist the state and open the market and are therefore measures that the citizens want.”
The minister also noted that the primary surplus allowed room for measures to protect social cohesion and correct injustices, in what he said was “the start of the reverse process. Until now, everyone had to contribute; now the state had return to the sensitive groups.”
Asked about criticism voiced by European Commissioner for economic and monetary affairs Olli Rehn, who said the Greek side was responsible for the delays in the talks with the troika, Venizelos declined to comment. He referred to what he called an unfair international discussion based on stereotypes about Greece, adding that to recycle this was “an injustice to Greece.”
The time had come to talk on the basis of figures and numbers, he said, urging Greece’s partners to look at the figures “comprehensively and understand that the situation in Greece has changed”. Europe could not go to EU elections with any other “narrative” unless the case called Greece was a success, he added.
Stournaras, who was first to leave the meeting, also appeared optimistic that a deal will be achieved in talks with the troika, noting that there wasn’t much time left.
With respect to the comments made by Rehn, Stournaras said that mistakes had been made by both sides.
(source: ana-mpa)
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