Hollande calls for no additional austerity for Greece
No additional austerity measures should be imposed on Greece, former French president Francois Hollande told the Athens-Macedonian News Agency during a visit to Athens on Thursday.
The former president noted that Greece's efforts had exceeded the primary surplus budget targets set by the country's creditors, adding that the country's access to the markets should be facilitated at a time that this could be obstructed by the Italian crisis.
Hollande also hailed what he called the "decisive role" of Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos in keeping Greece in the eurozone during a meeting between the two men.
On a tour of a migrant reception facility at Elaionas, near central Athens, Hollande called on Turkey to honor its deal with the European Union to crack down on human smuggling across the Aegean, noting that it would otherwise suffer financial repercussions.
Hollande is to meet Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Friday.
