Germany against third aid program for Greece under any circumstances, says daily
The German government is against a third aid programme for Greece under any circumstances, even if there was an agreement between Athens and its international lenders on a cash-for-reforms deal, the German mass daily Bild reported on Thursday.
Instead, the current second aid programme could be extended and be broadened with funds from other programmes such as the 10.9 billion euros ($12.32 billion) that were originally designed to rescue Greek banks, but were not needed, the report said.
However, this could only happen if Athens was willing to implement substantial reforms, it added.
“We don’t want to make our people bleed just because the ones in charge in Greece are not doing their job,” the mass daily quoted a member of the government as saying.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel is facing growing opposition among her ruling conservatives to granting Greece any further bailout funds.
Athens’ unwillingness to accept further economic reforms is turning a growing minority of Merkel’s own conservatives against the prospect of unlocking a final tranche of Greece’s second bailout or agreeing to a third aid programme.
Greece’s EU/IMF lenders have asked Athens to commit to sell off state assets, enforce pension cuts and press on with labour reforms, two sources familiar with the plan told Reuters last week, demands that would cross the Greek government’s “red lines”.
If Greece were to accept the plan, lenders would aim to unlock 10.9 billion euros in unused bank bailout funds that were returned to the European Financial Stability Fund. This would enable Greece to cover its financial needs through July and August, the sources have said.
[Reuters]
