Juncker rejects Greek debt write-off

Series Title
Series Details 30.01.15
Publication Date 30/01/2015
Content Type

Following far-left Syriza's victory in the Greek election on 25 January 2015, the EU Institutions tried to understand what would follow in terms of policies and attitudes, considering the challenges to come up with a compromise between the financial bailout conditions Greece committed itself to and the anti-austerity rhetoric of the new governing coalition in the country.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said in a newspaper interview on the 29 January 2015 that there was 'no question of cancelling the Greek debt'... 'The other countries of the eurozone will not accept it...'.

European Parliament President Martin Schulz visited Athens on the 29 January 2015 for discussions with new Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.

President of the Eurogroup Jeroen Dijsselbloem visited Athens on the 30 January 2015 for meetings with Prime Minister Tsipras and Minister for Finance Yanis Varoufakis. 'Taking unilateral steps or ignoring previous arrangements is not the way forward', said Mr Dijsselbloem.

Mr Varoufakis said 'we have no intention of co-operating with a three-member committee [ie the Troika of the EU/IMF/ECB] whose goal is to implement a programme whose logic we consider anti-European'.

In an interview with the BBC Pierre Moscovici, the European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, said that Greece belonged in the eurozone and the single currency depended on there being no 'Grexit'.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel rejected any idea of offering more debt relief to Greece in a newspaper interview published on the 31 January 2015. Some days later, the German government also rejected the idea to put an end to the troika of international creditors in Greece.

Ahead of several meetings with several EU officials in Brussels on 4 February 2015 to further negotiate a new deal concerning Greece's debt [Click here to find more information on these meetings], Mr Tsypras visited Italy and got the support from his Italian counterpart Matteo Renzi. On 5 February 2015, ande while Tsypras visited France, his finance minister was scheduled a meeting with the German counterpart. Media reported that both had disagreed in almost everything.

Source Link http://www.euractiv.com/sections/euro-finance/juncker-rejects-greek-debt-write-311691
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ESO: Background information: Who's in the new Greek cabinet? http://www.europeansources.info/record/whos-in-the-new-greek-cabinet/
Euro|Topics: Main Focus, 30.01.15: Athens and Brussels negotiate on debt http://www.eurotopics.net/en/home/presseschau/archiv/archiv_dossier/DOSSIER157568-Athens-and-Brussels-negotiate-on-debt
EUObserver, 29.01.15: Greece heading for 'very controversial' EU talks https://euobserver.com/economic/127422
BBC News, 30.01.15: Greece's Varoufakis: 'No debt talks with EU-IMF troika' http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-31055069
Kathimerini, 30.01.15: Greece warned against reversing bailout deals http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_wsite1_1_30/01/2015_546704
ESO: Background information: Greek legislative election, 25 January 2015 http://www.europeansources.info/record/greek-legislative-election-25-january-2015/
Deutsche Welle, 29.01.15: EU parliament president 'expects clashes' but no 'rash decisions' from Greece http://dw.de/p/1ETDr
BBC News, 31.01.15: No 'Grexit' from euro, EU's Moscovici vows http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-31067473
BBC News, 31.01.15: Greece economy: Merkel rules out more debt relief http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-31072321
Deutsch Welle, 31.01.15: Merkel rejects debt relief for Greece http://dw.de/p/1ETmF
Kathimerini, 31.01.15: Tsipras says Greece to repay ECB, IMF, reach deal with euro area http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_wsite1_1_31/01/2015_546737
Blog: Yanis Varoufakis http://yanisvaroufakis.eu/
Spiegel Online International, 30.01.15: Merkel's Unintended Creation: Could Tsipras' Win Upset Balance of Power in Europe? http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/greek-election-makes-euro-zone-exit-real-possibility-a-1015907.html
BBC News, 31.01.15: Greece economy: PM Tsipras seeks to placate creditors http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-31075767
Kathimerini, 31.01.15: Tsipras plays down chance of rift http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_wsite1_1_31/01/2015_546753
EUObserver, 31.01.15: Greece flip-flops on troika talks https://euobserver.com/political/127442
EurActiv, 02.02.15: Greece holds ‘crucial’ meetings to secure new debt agreement http://www.euractiv.com/sections/euro-finance/greece-holds-crucial-meetings-secure-new-debt-agreement-311712
EUObserver, 02.02.15: France, US support Greece in debt battle https://euobserver.com/political/127444
Spiegel Online International, 02.02.15: Greece's New Economics Minister: 'Europe Doesn't Need To Be Afraid' http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/interview-with-new-greek-economics-minister-stathakis-a-1015956.html
EurActiv, 03.02.15: Greece drops hopes of debt write-off, outlines ‘menu’ of options http://www.euractiv.com/sections/euro-finance/greece-drops-hopes-debt-write-outlines-menu-options-311752
EUObserver, 03.02.15: Germany: No need to get rid of troika https://euobserver.com/political/127469
EUObserver, 04.02.15: Tsipras secures Italian backing ahead of EU meeting https://euobserver.com/political/127488
EurActiv, 04.02.15: German conservatives reject Greek demands for debt haircut, end to Troika visits http://www.euractiv.com/sections/euro-finance/german-conservatives-reject-greek-demands-debt-haircut-end-troika-visits
EurActiv, 06.02.15: Greek and German ministers meet, to no avail http://www.euractiv.com/sections/euro-finance/dialogue-deaf-greek-and-german-ministers-meet-311897

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