Juncker: Greece aims “almost reached” – tagesschau.de

EU Commission President Juncker sees Greece on track. The economic data were better than expected. To get further help the creditor to vote on a new tough austerity program the Greek parliament today.

Prior to the meeting of EU finance ministers on the debt crisis in Greece European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker sees the country on the right path to overcome the debt crisis. “We are just at the first evaluation of the program, and the objectives are almost achieved,” he told the newspapers the Funke Media Group.

The European finance ministers would on Monday ” perform first discussions about how you can make the debt of Greece are sustainable “. From a new aid package could not be any question.

The Greek economic data were better than expected, said Juncker. The Commission go of a return to growth in the second half of 2016, which will accelerate in the coming year. “The program, which began last summer, Greece has therefore received the foundation for a return to long-term stable economic development,” he said. A Greek exit from the euro zone was not an option in the previous year “and it is now even less”.

In protest against a new austerity program with pension cuts had the Greek trade unions since called Friday strikes. Thousands of Greeks took to the streets.

Since Saturday, Parliament examines the austerity package, due to be adopted in the course of the day. The vote is considered showdown for the left-right coalition under Alexis Tsipras. He has a slim majority of 153 of the 300 deputies. In addition to cuts in pensions by 1.8 billion euros 1.8 billion euros tax increases are provided. So with the income tax is the tax-free amount of 9545 euros to 8636 euros will be reduced. Smaller companies, the gains have up to EUR 50 000, instead of the previous 26 percent must now pay 29 percent tax.

The reforms will pave the way for further international billions in aid. The payment of a tranche of five billion euros delayed at present because of a dispute over the pace of reforms in Greece.