Greece’s Prime Minister Lucas Papademos is heading to Brussels on Monday for a two-day trip and crucial talks on the sixth aid tranche of €8 billion. The sixth aid tranche will top the agenda of Papademos with EU Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso, the European Council president Herman van Rompuy and the chief of Eurogroup Jean-Claude Juncker (in Luxembourg).
The sixth aid tranche that was due in last September remains in the registers of Greece’ European partners and lenders and has been used as a blackmail tool by the EU leadership and the IMF. While it was clear many times that the 8-billion euro aid will be released, Greece’s lenders have found many reasons for not doing so. Especially after the October 26th loan agreement concerning a second bailout package to Greece, Germany has been insisting that Greece’s coalition government partners will sign a document of commitment to whatever the EU dictates.
As the details of the second bailout package have not been worked out yet, Nea Dimokratia leader Antonis Samaras refuses to sign such a paper. Over the weekend, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaueble repeated that the written commitment of ND is necessary for the implementation of the October 26th agreement and that there will be no sixth aid tranche until Samaras puts his signature.
Lucas Papademosis now facing the challenge to ‘iron’ the disagreement and come back to Greece with the sixth aid tranche. Will he manage? Greek media claim that Papademos will “restore Greece’s dignity” while in Brussels and Luxembourg. Contrary to George Papandreou, at least we can say, that ex-banker Papademosspeaks the same language of economy and fiscal discipline with his partners…
Will he manage a compromise before the Eurogroup meeting at the end of this month?
Papademos will meet Barroso and van Rompuy on Monday afternoon and Juncker on Tuesday.
Maybe there is time for van Rompuy to show Papademos his new palace in Brussels. An architect’s nightmare worth more than 320 million EUR built with European taxpayers’ money – of course!
What’s Greece constibution to monster egg?
“As the details of the second bailout package have not been worked out yet, Nea Dimokratia leader Antonis Samaras refuses to sign such a paper. Over the weekend, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaueble repeated that the written commitment of ND is necessary for the implementation of the October 26th agreement and that there will be no sixth aid tranche until Samaras puts his signature.”
This is a total farce now that is playing out for two weeks now. And it really is about nothing. That agreement was agreed by all around that table on October 26. And they also agreed that it had to be worked out. The only thing that is asked from Samaras, who by the way refused to be there although he was invited by GPap, is to agree with it in principle like all heads of state did on October 26th. It is total crazy to read everywhere that it would amount to signing a blanc cheque. It isn’t. Yes, it is a clear sign that the word of a Greek politician is not enough anymore. NO Greek politician. And two years of agreeing to all kind of things and then trying to wiggle out of everything has made it that way. Or would anybody still trust those 300 on their word? I don’t. Will that paper help? Of course not. If Samaras wants to change his mind after signing he can. What will they do in Europe? Sue him? 🙄
So sign the darned paper and go negotiate about the details of that deal. Now they used the whole weekend to talk not about the economy, the crisis, the euro or the Greek people, but about signing a letter of intent that has already been agreed on. 👿
well… the Oct 26th agreement was agreed by Papandreou who is not PM anymore. you see?
No, I don’t see. And I am sure that’s just why they are asking for that stupid signature of Sam. The PM of Greece made a commitment there. And Samaras, if he becomes PM (God help us), has to honour the treaties and contracts signed by the previous government. That’s the way it functions.
To quote Papademos today in Brussels: “This letter by the leaders of the parties supporting the government, as been requested by the Eurogroup and the IMF … it is necessary in order to eliminate uncertainties and ambiguities concerning actions to be taken in the future, by parties that may be in power,”
Of course if he does not agree with October 26th (and he has every right to) he should say that clearly. But now he seems to SAY “I agree” but will not put that in writing, because he really does NOT agree. One good thing about two years GPap is that at least outside Greece no one seems to be falling for that trick any-more.
And the Greek voters know now for sure that this man has just one goal: becoming khalif instead of the khalif and he doesn’t give a f… about what the cost will be for Greece and the Greeks.