–Condemns ‘Rumour Spreading’ On Greece Situation
–But Agrees Aid Deal Had To Be ‘Creative’, Respect EU Treaty Terms
LONDON (MNI) – The Greek government has not asked the EU to review
the two-week old aid plan for the country put in place by EU leaders.
“The Greek government didn’t at all ask me to review the 2-week old
agreement,” EU President Herman Van Rompuy told the EU Parliament. In
fact the Greek finance minister said this yesterday very clearly.
The EU president said that the Greek finance minister hoped that
spreads on Greek government bonds would narrow once the results of the
country’s fiscal measures became clear.
Van Rompuy criticised what he called rumours being spread on the
Greek fiscal situation.
“It is very damaging to the Greek taxpayer to spread rumours like
that and make statements like that … it doesn’t help anybody in fact
it makes things much worse for the people who are feeling the effects of
these measures…”
Van Rompuy said that the EU aid plan had been constrained by the
need to work withing what is allowed under the terms of the EU Treaty.
“We had to be creative, but had to respect the treaty,” Van Rompuy
said in response to those members of the Parliament pushing for a more
ambitious EU-wide rescue plan for Greece.
“It is a mechanism – it is a compromise of course and it is a
mechanism we had to invent because other mechanisms were not provided
for in the Lisbon Treaty”.
Market News International reported earlier this week that Greece
is keen to amend the terms of the deal in order to dilute the role of
the International Monetary Fund in any rescue, fearing the strict
conditionality which might be imposed by the Fund in return for any
financial assistance.
–London: +44 207 862 7492; email: dthomas@marketnews.com
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