Drawing out Greece’s troubled fiscal talks and creating uncertainty amid tough times for Europe is not a smart choice, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras warned on Sunday.
Greece’s creditors — the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and EU — have been locked for months in a standoff over debt relief for Greece and budget targets demanded from Athens.
The IMF believes demands on Greece sought by the Europeans are too ambitious. But if the euro zone is going to stick with its plans, then the IMF wants the necessary tax hikes and pension cuts to meet them before it will lend further to Athens.
“Returning to uncertainty is not the smartest choice, especially while Europe is facing major challenges,” Tsipras told the Greek weekly Documento.
With the EU already reeling from Brexit, Tsipras argued that Greece’s current rescue program — its third since 2010 — would collapse if his government were to fall.
His leftist-led coalition government has just 153 MPs in the 300-seat Parliament, and it is unlikely that even the charismatic Tsipras could push through another package of painful austerity reforms.
“A breakdown in talks in order to lead the country to elections would cause a de facto collapse in the (bailout),” the PM claimed.
He added that creditors had “no choice” but to trust his leftist government to take the country out of an economic crisis continuing for an eighth year.
“Either this government succeeds or the rescue programs will fail,” Tsipras said.
Following a long standoff between the EU and the IMF over debt relief and budget targets, talks between Greek officials and representatives from its creditors aimed at freeing up fresh funds resumed in Athens this week.
Athens has agreed to discuss additional tax and pension reforms and labor market regulation.
Athens needs the latest tranche of bailout cash to meet €7 billion ($7.4 billion) of new debt payments in July or risk defaulting on its loans.

Source: Arab News