Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras threatens to veto the conclusions text of the European Union Leaders Summit if there is no crystal clear commitment that there will be no shutting down of Greece’s Northern borders to FYROM, as at least 5 EU member states favor. The Greek PM reportedly plans to veto also the conclusions part referring to #Brexit. So far, the EU leaders were not able to reach a deal with the UK.
Tsipras has apparently brought the veto option last night during the EU Leaders’ “working dinner” that turned into a debate on Europe’s migration crisis.
Greece’s veto will be in form of “no Greek signature in the EU Summit conclusions text.” Formally, all 28 member-states need to sign a conclusions document, however it could be released with a <*> citing Greece’s reservations. But also such a modification is the result of negotiations that may take a lot of time.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel proposed that the “border status remains unchanged” until an extraordinary Summit on March 6th with the presence of Turkey. Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu canceled his trip to Brussels after a deadly terror attack in Ankara on Wednesday evening, moreover cancelling a meeting with Tsipras and Merkel.
But Tsipras want that all member-countries, incl those that favor a border shut down, commit themselves similarly like Berlin.
Except for the borders issue, Greece seems satisfied with the EU Conclusions on the Migration crisis.
There is some information coming form Brussels that European Council President and EC Vice Donald Tusk was rewriting the Conclusions text on Friday noon but no more details were revealed whether this had to do with Greece or UK.
Tsipras and Merkel held a three-party meeting with French President Francois Hollande on Friday morning.
According to media, a part of the Summit conclusions has been released. It states among others:
Preservation of Schengen unity
Give priority to an agreement with Turkey
Terminate the “uncontrolled crossing” of refugee flows in the so-called Balkan Route.
Just published by European Commission: European Council commits to accelerate measures on Refugee Crisis.
European Union government leaders meeting at the European Council have voiced their determination to pursue European solutions to the refugee crisis.
European Union government leaders meeting at the European Council have voiced their determination to pursue European solutions to the refugee crisis. Speaking earlier this morning, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said, “We have agreed unanimously that our approach must be European and that national solo efforts are not advisable.”
President Juncker also underlined the crucial role of Turkey: “We have confirmed that there is no alternative to good, intelligent and proper cooperation with Turkey”. The European Council calls for full and rapid implementation of the EU-Turkey Action Plan, in order to reduce migration flows into the European Union. Turkey has recently taken important steps, giving Syrian refugees access to its labour market, but the flows of migrants arriving in Greece remain too high.
Heads of state reaffirmed their commitment to the relocation scheme proposed last year by the Commission. The scheme provides for a fair distribution of asylum-seekers across the European Union and relieves some of the pressure on those countries receiving most refugees. So far, implementation has been slow, and the European Council calls on Member States to accelerate their work.
The European Council also welcomes NATO’s decision to help monitor the illegal crossings in the Aegean Sea, and calls on the European Union, through FRONTEX, to work closely with NATO.”
to be continued….
This is the only way that Greece will ever get treated properly in the EU — to fuck up their little deals, unless Greece gets proper respect. It is what malakas Papandreou failed to grasp, when he went with his begging bowl to France and Germany at the onset of the economic crisis.
This seems to be a good if not brilliant – exploiting the absentee – move and before that he told Prague’s chieftain that Greece understands their militarist police action at the Yugoslavian border as “unfriendly” acts, funny to see the reactions, not any “anger” in German headlines, Austrian media is as paranoid as Turkish and Russian and put it as “against Vienna”, the Visestates will run amuk with headaches regarding the financing of their homecoming welfare-fugees and UK drinks tea.