The Greek government is willing to accept mutual compromises on some issues with the country’s creditors to reach an agreement that would allow the completion of the second program review on the condition that any deal would not include the prior legislation of measures. Prior legislation of measures was demanded by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), a senior government source told journalists in Berlin on Saturday.
The statement came during Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras’ second day of his visit to the German capital where he met with Chancellor Angela Merkel and other top German officials and lawmakers. Tsipras also spoke earlier at the 5th conference of the Party of the European Left.
According to the same official, the measures demanded by the IMF are “politically unthinkable, socially destructive and economically irrational”.
“Beyond that, we can discuss about a compromise,” the official continued, adding that all sides should understand that the Greek government “will not back down on this issue no matter how much pressure is exercised”.
The source said that as Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has repeatedly extolled in the past the responsibility shown by German Chancellor Angela Merkel on the European issue (ex. migration), the Greek government has reasons to believe that this time too, Berlin will rise to the occasion and not allow the blocking of the second program review.
Government sources also said that at a time when Europe is going through a phase of general destabilization and ahead of an election year (2017) for important countries in the region, the German government will not want to rekindle the Greek crisis.
(source: ana-mpa)
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