Dijsselbloem says Greek must make tough decisions
Greece has no option except to make the tough decisions required by its international creditors if it wants to secure more loans and avoid default, the head of the Eurogroup said in an interview with a Finnish newspaper.
“If the Greek government can’t accept the fact that there are no easy solutions and that the difficult decisions just must be made, it is alone. We can’t help Greece if Greece doesn’t want to help itself,” Jeroen Dijsselbloem was quoted as saying in daily Helsingin Sanomat.
As president of the Eurogroup, Dijsselbloem represents the finance ministers of the countries that use the euro. He is also the Dutch finance minister.
In the interview conducted on Thursday, Dijsselbloem said a deal could still be reached in time to unlock aid before the end of the month, adding that Greece’s creditors are still open to negotiations if Athens’ propositions make economic sense.
“The political decision could be made even tomorrow as long as it is credible and secures Greece’s financial independence.”
On Thursday, the International Monetary Fund walked away from negotiations in Brussels, citing major differences, while a top European Union leader bluntly told Athens to stop “gambling” with its future.
[Reuters]
