Newspapers: Athens probably still needed in summer third aid package – FinanzNachrichten.de

Greece’s financial situation remains extremely precarious, even after the conclusion of the second reform program and further grants of more than seven billion euros: Later this summer, the country most likely need a terminal program, told the “Welt am Sonntag” in European negotiation circles. “Actually, we should negotiate even now.”

Ironically, Alexis Tsipras, the new Greek Prime Minister, another program may have requested from donors. Tsipras and his left Syriza party but had competed with the promise to apply for a new assistance program with the corresponding counterfoils harsh conditions at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Europeans. “We can not imagine how he wants to sell the its population, where it already has a political mandate for the completion of the second program according to our ideas by his own admission today,” it said. With care you look within the troika of the IMF, European Central Bank (ECB) and the EU Commission and the further progress of the negotiations on the termination of the second aid package: at the negotiating table both sides were far apart, it said.

“A little bit like on the Titanic,” says a negotiator the position. “The atmosphere is better now than before in the discussions. But what good is that if the ship goes down?” The best example is the issue of harmonization of VAT: The Greeks and the representatives of the troika would have basically agreed, they say. Only the Greeks do not want to engage in a concrete plan for implementation now.

A purely political statement of intent is not enough the IMF. “And in all other major reform issues, we see that the Greeks removed from the second reform program.” Even Greece’s negotiators would occasionally express despair, they do not know what their government wants to achieve. Therefore the participants running out of time. Some expect Greece with the remnants of his financial reserves just so survives the May. Other expected by mid-late June. Then the money is all Athens has to decide whether it serves its debt to the IMF or whether it will pay its pensioners pensions. Meanwhile wait even some negotiators on the moment when the last money is spent. “This is hopefully the moment in which he makes the turn,” said a negotiator. “I expect them soon.”