Prime Minister Antonis Samaras has reportedly rejected Troika demands he not return most of a coming primary surplus to low-income pensioners, the police and military and said the government will also refuse to give supermarkets the right to sell non-prescription drugs and extend the shelf life of fresh milk.
In a move seen as trying to appease disgruntled groups ahead of critical May elections for Greek municipalities and the European Parliament, Samaras said he will go ahead with his promise to distribute 70 percent of an expected 1.5 billion euro ($2.09 billion) to people affected by the austerity measures he imposed on the orders of the Troika of the European Union-International Monetary Fund-European Central Bank (EU-IMF-ECB).
It was a rare show of defiance from Samaras, who has mostly gone alone with Troika demands for pay cuts, tax hikes, slashed pensions and worker firings although still on the table are unsettled negotiations over 153 unfinished reforms identified by the Paris-based Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
The Troika wants the government to wait until next year before providing relief to austerity victims and base it on how much – or if – it exceeds a primary surplus target of 2.9 billion euros, twice the 2013 estimate.
The lenders have also set a March 16 deadline for talks, which have sputtered for six months to be settled, but that was also rejected by Samaras with the government insisting that a deadline shouldn’t be imposed before a deal is reached, which would mean there wouldn’t be a need for a deadline.
Troika envoys were due back in Athens on March 14 to resume talks following a three-day break prompted by Monday’s Eurogroup summit in Brussels, where Eurozone officials urged Athens to quickly conclude a long-running review of its economic review.
In a speech in the European Parliament in Brussels, European Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn praised Greece for the extent of its fiscal adjustment, referring to “tangible signs of growth” and noting that the country was on course to post a primary surplus for the first time in years.
See all the latest news from Greece and the world at Greekreporter.com. Contact our newsroom to report an update or send your story, photos and videos. Follow GR on Google News and subscribe here to our daily email!
