OPINION

No debt writedown or rolling back of reforms for Greece, says Finland’s Stubb

Finnish Prime Minister Alex Stubb is one of the 19 leaders in the eurozone that will be asked to sign a new agreement with Greece after the elections.

In an interview with Kathimerini one week before Greeks go to the polls he makes it clear that Finland would not accept a writedown of Greek debt and stresses that the new government should not expect to be offered one.

Although Stubb does not refer to SYRIZA specifically, he says that Greece has to complete its adjustment program without rolling back reforms and that only then would his country be willing to discuss the new government’s ideas.

Finland is one of the core eurozone countries, along with Austria, Netherlands and Germany. During negotiations over the last few months, these countries have been pressing for the International Monetary Fund to retain a role in post-bailout Greece. Finland also argued at the most recent Eurogroup for Greece to only receive a one-month bailout extension because a longer one might have boosted the Finnish euroskeptic parties.

It is important to keep this in mind as Finland is due to hold elections in April and the government did not want to pass through Parliament an amendment that would give the impression of a let up in the intensity of the Greek program.

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