There is “no real progress” in attempts to make the Eurogroup more transparent, a member of the Dutch parliament told EUobserver. “We are not making any headway with this file,” said Renske Leijten, MP for the socialist party. Almost a year ago, Leijten travelled to Brussels with two fellow Dutch …
Read More »
Petition demanding €8bn ECB profits return to Greece handed to Eurogroup
In a meeting with Eurogroup spokesperson Luis Rego, a group of campaigners including Positive Money Europe handed a petition to euro zone finance ministers demanding that Greece gets back the profits made off of its debt. Luis Rego promised the campaigners to bring the issue to the attention of EG …
Read More »
Campaigners demand from Eurogroup full return of ECB profits to Greece
Campaigners from pressure groups Positive Money Europe, WeMove.EU and Eurodad will hand in a petition to the Eurogroup as it meets at 15h00 CEST on Friday demanding Greek debt profits are fully returned from the European Central Bank. According to pressure groups investigation, €8 billion are missing from the Eurogroup …
Read More »
Dijsselbloem: Greece should have been grateful to European aid, kept mouth shut
Greece should have been grateful to European aid and kept its mouth shut, the former chief of Eurogroup Jeroen Dijsselbloem said more or less in an interview on Saturday. He has clearly not recovered yet from the traumatic experience with former Greek finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis. At the same time …
Read More »
What will happen if Greece abolishes the pension cuts despite creditors objections?
Greece insists that the austerity measure to further pension cuts as of 1. January 2019 is not necessary. Creditors try to avoid commenting on that, although the usual “Euro Sources Anonymous” claim that the euro finance ministers are against abolishing of the measure. “Greece’s budget 2019 will not include pension …
Read More »
Germany blocks €15bn tranche to Greece due to VAT hikes postponement
Germany expressed reservations for the disbursement of the €15 billion tranche due to Greek government’s unilateral action to postpone Value Added Tax hikes on five islands hit by the refugee crisis. Also the planned discussion about freezing of the further pension cuts was blocked by Berlin at the Eurogroup on …
Read More »
Greek gov’t bonds are now safer for investors, says Eurogroup chief Centeno
Eurogroup president, Mario Centeno, said that the Greek government bonds are safer after the decision on June 21. In an exclusive interview with CNBC on Wednesday, Centeno sought to reassure investors. Centeno said that an agreement to soften future debt repayments, reached two weeks ago, has reduced investors’ concerns over …
Read More »
Greece’s Creditors troll Greeks: The best of Eurogroup quotes
One after the other, the heavy weights of the Eurozone took the floor after the extensive and exhausting 9-hour Eurogroup meeting on Thursday. They started to congratulate each other and praise the deal they reached with Greece. In fact, they did not reach any deal that normally occurs after lengthy …
Read More »
Eurogroup gives Greece small repayment extension, no real debt relief
The atmosphere on Friday morning is good. Greece’s creditors cheer, international and even German media hail the Eurogroup deal as “‘end of the Greek crisis”, “Greece exits the bailout” and “the Greek debt is sustainable.” But the Eurogroup of the 19 finance ministers did not give Greece a debt relief. …
Read More »
Debt relief for Greece: Extend loans repayment, reduce interest to near 1%?
The Eurogroup is reportedly seeking to reduce Greek debt payments by extending loans until beyond 2040 and reducing the interest rate to near 1%, well below the rate Greece would need to pay international investors. the Eurogroup meeting scheduled for upcoming Thursday is crucial for Greece as the country prepares …
Read More »
ESM: Eurogroup to possibly discuss debt relief, last debt repayment in 2059
“If prior actions are completed, the Eurogroup next week will decide on final disbursement to Greece and possibly on additional debt relief,” managing director of European Stability Mechanism, Klaus Regling said on Saturday. In a lengthy interview with daily Ta Nea, Regling unfolded some aspects of the Greek issue. “We …
Read More »
Lots of wishes but no solution for Greece’s debt at the Eurogroup meeting
Lots of wishes but no substantial results or even a breakthrough. The Eurogroup on Thursday discussed “Greece” but as the was no debt agreement between Germany and the International Monetary Fund in the Washington group meeting that preceded the European, the eurozone ministers wish Greece good luck and turned to …
Read More »
Eurogroup towards a comprehensive agreement of Greece’s exit in June
“The goal is to have a comprehensive agreement for Greece’s exit from the programme at the Eurogroup meeting in June, Eurogroup President Mario Centeno said on Friday after an informal meeting of euro area finance ministers in Sofia. Speaking to reporters, the Eurogroup’s President said that the heads of the …
Read More »
“Debt relief for Greece could be finalized soon,” says Eurogroup chief Centeno
Greece and its creditors appear to be one step closer to reaching a final agreement on the restructuring of the country’s huge debt pile, according to Eurogroup President Mario Centeno. In an interview with CNBC, Centeno said that although there are still a “few issues” regarding Greece’s public debt, European …
Read More »
Eurogroup gives green light for €6.7billion disbursement to Greece
The Eurogroup gave the green light for the disbursement of the next bailout installment and set a 100-day course to complete the next round of of completion of the remaining prior actions. 6.7 billion euros will be paid in two installments, with the first amounting €5.7billion expected in the second …
Read More »
Eurogroup returns to blackmail policy, freezes €5.7bn disbursement for Greece
The Eurogroup most obviously returned to blackmail policy after it officially admitted Greece has met 108 out of 110 prior actions. It froze the disbursement of 5.7 billion euros at the meeting on Monday. Furthermore, the finance ministers of the eurozone got to know the hidden personality side of Euclid …
Read More »
Eurogroup concludes Greece’s 3. review, approves €6.7bln bailout tranche
The Eurogroup gave the green light on Monday for the disbursement of the fourth tranche of the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) program for Greece, totaling 6.7 billion euros, following a meeting of the Eurozone’s finance ministers in Brussels. The Eurogroup said the funding will be paid out in two tranches, …
Read More »
Portugal’s socialist Mario Centeno wins Eurogroup Presidency
Portugal’s Finance Minister, socialist Mario Centeno won the Eurogroup presidency in two rounds of voting in Brussels Monday afternoon! The Latvian and Slovak finance ministers dropped out after the first round. Centeno won in a head to head against Luxemburg’s Pierre Gramegna. 51-year-old Mario Centeno is an economist and academic …
Read More »
Dijsselbloem announces he is quitting Dutch politics, stay as Eurogroup head until…
Dutch Finance Minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem announced that he will quit national politics as of Oct 25th, but he will stay on as the Eurogroup head until January 2018. He was caretaker finance minister after his party suffered big losses in the national elections in March. He will also quit the …
Read More »
Greece’s FinMin Tsakalotos trolls Schaeuble on Eurogroup Farewell gift
O M G! Is it true that Greek finance minister Euclid Tsakalotos trolled his ex German counterpart Wolfgang Schaeuble during the Farewell at the Eurogroup? “Nothing will be quite the same again.” Some like Mehreen Khan of Financial Times, say he did. Here is what Tsakalotos wrote on the European …
Read More »