Greece/Eurogroup
Posturing must end; responsible decisions on Greek economy needed
Commenting on the latest developments regarding the Greek bailout programme, Greens/EFA co-president Philippe Lamberts said:
"The renewed posturing on the implementation of Greece's bailout programme is a worrying distraction from the persistent deterioration of the Greek economy. The decision by Eurogroup chair Jeroen Dijsselbloem to cancel tomorrow's council of finance ministers is not constructive: dialogue is needed to solve this latest impasse and if that means an extraordinary summit, as requested by Greek prime minister Tsipiras, then this should be convened without delay.
"The latest push by the troika for even more austerity measures to be passed in Greece is wrong-headed. Instead, the creditors should be heeding the IMF's advice and insisting that structural reforms, such as an overhaul of the fiscal administration, are a top priority. The Syriza government has done little so far to fight tax evasion and take on those who have engaged in tax fraud. This persistent clientelism is clearly disheartening.
"As the IMF's analysis has made clear, a significant restructuring of the Greek debt has to be on the table. The European Strategic Investment Plan should also be retasked to target Greece, along with special technical assistance to help quickly set up efficient projects."
