Greek government sees Paris meeting as ‘last phase’ in troika talks
Greek government’s spokesman Sofia Voultepsi said that a meeting between representatives of the coalition and troika in Paris on Tuesday and Wednesday represent the “last phase” of negotiations between the two sides.
“The important thing is that a decision has been taken to get the process moving again,” Voultepsi told Vima FM.
“We are going there to close the agreement so we can make it in time for [the Eurogroup on] December 8.”
“Both parties continue to work closely together with the aim of concluding the review and discussing how subsequently Greece can continue to strengthen its fiscal position and economic growth,” European Commission spokeswoman Mina Andreeva said in an e-mail.
SYRIZA, though, predicted that the talks would end in failure for the Greek side.
“The government’s meeting with the troika in Paris is the last episode in the soap opera of the supposed exit from the memorandum,” said SYRIZA in a statement.
The opposition part accused the government of making more concessions to Greece’s lenders and of not being in a position to make commitments to the troika.
“A government that is collapsing cannot commit the Greek people to a new bailout agreement because this will be cancelled in practice by people’s votes.”
SYRIZA’s statement prompted Voultepsi to wonder whether SYRIZA “is on our side or the troika’s side.”
