6/26/2015 Greece crisis: Debtridden country days from default and Grexit, but Eurogroup still holds out faint hope of a deal Europe World The Independent
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Greece remains deadlocked with its creditors, leaving Athensfacing a potentially disastrous sovereign default in only fourdays.
A day of fraught Brussels summits passed without thebreakthrough deal unlocking €7.2bn (£5.12bn) in bailout cashfor Athens that had been predicted by some European officialsearlier in the week.
The Eurogroup of 19 single currency finance ministers provedunable to bridge its divide with Alexis Tsipras’ government after
Greece crisis: Debtridden country days fromdefault and Grexit, but Eurogroup still holds outfaint hope of a deal
A day of summits passed without the breakthrough deal unlocking €7.2bn inbailout cash for Athens that had been predicted by some European officials
BEN CHU , LEO CENDROWICZ BRUSSELS
Thursday 25 June 2015
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6/26/2015 Greece crisis: Debtridden country days from default and Grexit, but Eurogroup still holds out faint hope of a deal Europe World The Independent
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Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renziand German Chancellor Angela Merkel during one of the summitmeetings in Brussels on Thursday (EPA)
creditors on 24 June objected to a number of concessions Athenshad presented at the start of the week.
Despite the crumbling of Greece’s resistance to increasing VATon Greek holiday islands and a commitment to find total budgetsavings worth 1.4 per cent of savings in 2015 the two sides werestill far apart on the issues of overhauling pensions and imposingnew business taxes.
The Eurogroup will meet again on 27 June for the fifth time in 10days. But the clock is ticking down. Greece is due to repay €1.6bnto the International Monetary Fund on 30 June and without the€7.2bn from its creditors it will be unable to do so.
Unless the money is handed over Greece will default and couldsee its banks cut off from emergency funding from the EuropeanCentral Bank. That could prompt domestic capital controls andpush Greece out of the single currency.
Even if a deal is sealed at the weekend there are fears that itcould be too late for national parliaments in the eurozone toapprove the disbursement, meaning Greece could end updefaulting by accident.
Mr Tsipras said he still expected a deal in time. “Europeanhistory is full of disagreements, negotiations and thencompromises. So after the comprehensive Greek proposals I’mconfident that we will reach a compromise that will help theeurozone and Greece overcome the crisis,” he said. That wasechoed by the European Council President, Donald Tusk, whochairs the European Union summits.
“I have a good hunch that unlike in Sophocles’ tragedies, thisGreek story will have a happy end,” he said.
But there were also warnings. The Maltese foreign ministerEdward Scicluna said the two sides were “worlds apart” and thatcreditors would have to consider a “Plan B” if a deal is notconcluded on 27 June, likely to mean capital controls on Greek
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6/26/2015 Greece crisis: Debtridden country days from default and Grexit, but Eurogroup still holds out faint hope of a deal Europe World The Independent
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/greececrisisdebtriddencountrydaysfromdefaultandgrexitbuteurogroupstillholdsoutfainthopeofa… 3/7
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banks.
The president of Germany’s Bundesbank, Jens Weidmann, alsoexpressed doubts over the European Central Bank’s provision ofemergency support, suggesting it may breach the rules onfinancing eurozone governments. “When banks without access tothe markets buy debt of a sovereign which is likewise locked outof the market, taking recourse to ELA [the ECB’s loans] raisesserious monetary financing concerns” he said in Frankfurt.
His words could prompt further withdrawals of Greek savingsfrom the domestic financial system from 26 June. It is estimatedthat some €4bn was withdrawn from the banking system lastweek by Greeks worried over the imposition of capital controls.
READ MORE: • TSIPRAS' GREEK PROPOSALS SIGNAL A 'GOOD BASIS FOR PROGRESS'• GREEK PM RAILS AGAINST ATTEMPTS TO 'HUMILIATE' HIS GOVERNMENT• ATHENS POISED ON THE VERGE OF CATASTROPHIC DEBT DEFAULT• THE GREEK PICTURE SHOWING A NATION FALLING APART• GREECE COULD BE FORCED TO LOCK DOWN SAVERS' CASH
The IMF – one of the creditor authorities – is concerned that MrTsipras is relying heavily on potential revenue generated fromtax rises, a risky strategy for a country with a patchy track recordin tax collection. There are also fears that Mr Tsipras’ oneoff 12per cent tax on corporate profits will cut back growth.
Behind the scenes, however, officials suggested there had beenprogress in some negotiating areas. Athens has agreed to pushback the retirement age to 67, while the creditors have acceptedthat Greece can keep its six per cent VAT rate for medicines,
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Greece's Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis will meet again with theEurogroup on 27 June. The two sides are still far apart on the issues ofoverhauling pensions and imposing new business taxes (AP)
books, and the theatre.
Despite the dashing of hopes financial markets remainedcomposed. The interest rate on Greek 10year debt crept up,signalling a very modest increase in default risk. Shares acrossthe Continent were down slightly, with the Eurofirst 300 indexshedding around 0.3 per cent. But the Athens stock marketmanaged to increase by 0.1 per cent.
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6/26/2015 Greece crisis: Debtridden country days from default and Grexit, but Eurogroup still holds out faint hope of a deal Europe World The Independent
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/greececrisisdebtriddencountrydaysfromdefaultandgrexitbuteurogroupstillholdsoutfainthopeofa… 6/7
TOP NEW OLD
RANTINGRON 57 minutes ago
Proportional representation NOW!
REPLY + 0 –
RANTINGRON 59 minutes ago
Pure soap opera — better than Corrie and Eastenders puttogether.
REPLY + 1 –
RANTINGRON 59 minutes ago
Of course it will have a happy ending — i.e., Greece will be let offthe hook — it's in the script.
REPLY + 0 –
MORIETY 2 hours ago
Meanwhile nobody is allowed to comment on the fascist ISISgains, wherin it appears the only sane parson is GeneralDempsey from the USA, struggling with politicians who seem tothink they are jackofalltrades (but are master of none ofcourse).
We in the UK have had the Gulf and Afghanistan wars, most ofus opposed both, but fighting this religious fascist group (ISIS) isa must now. They are across the water facing Greece and Italy:fascists must never be tolerated by any nation who valuesfreedom.
REPLY + 2 –
KIWIGAL 2 hours ago
Greece and hope, now there is an oxymoron.
REPLY + 0 –
SABCARRERA 2 hours ago
Is that EU or euro exit?
REPLY + 0 –
STEVE HILL 2 hours ago
The Greeks are where the Greeks chose to be. There isabsolutely nothing unreasonable about the creditors' terms forfurther advances. Unless the Greeks make *major* structuralreforms (and they are not) they'll just be back with the beggingbowl again, and again, and again.
6/26/2015 Greece crisis: Debtridden country days from default and Grexit, but Eurogroup still holds out faint hope of a deal Europe World The Independent
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/greececrisisdebtriddencountrydaysfromdefaultandgrexitbuteurogroupstillholdsoutfainthopeofa… 7/7
Search The Independent
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I'm sick of subsidising their overentitled lifestyle when thereare things I would like to buy for my own kids, but cannotafford. This is the reality.
REPLY + 0 –
CHRISD 3 hours ago
How many time are you going to (have to) repeat this bloodystupid headline.
Greek politicians dug their country into a hole and were aidedand abetted by the EUSSR Bureaucracy.
The sooner we are rid of both, the better
REPLY + 1 –
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