Brussels, 29/04/2010 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 29 April, Olli Rehn reaffirmed: “I am confident that the talks will be concluded in the next days”. The commissioner for economic and monetary affairs stressed that the multi annual programme currently being negotiated by the European Commission, the ECB, IMF and Greek authorities will “reverse the debt spiral of Greece and restore its overall economic competitiveness”. Rehn insisted that “funding to Greece through the coordinated bilateral loans by the euro-area member states will be conditional on implementing the decisions required to meet the conditions of fiscal consolidation and structural reforms” (the country must reduce its deficit, which has gone above 13.6% of GDP, an increase of four percentage points this year). According to the commissioner, implementation of the mixed support mechanism would provide Greece with “sufficient breathing space” from pressures from the market, and help “restore the sustainability of its public finances and to put the economy back on a path of sustainable growth”. The commissioner added that support for Greece is crucial to the eurozone as a whole.
Impatience was the predominating feeling at the European Parliament. The S&D and GUE-NGL groups spoke out against the sluggish pace of Greece's partners in coming to the country's aid. Their attacks were particularly targeted against the prevarication displayed by Angela Merkel. They are also critical of the laborious approach adopted by European leaders, which they believe contributed to the speculation now threatening the entire eurozone. Those on the left at the European Parliament are demanding an emergency debate during the next EP plenary session (5-6 May in Brussels) on the conditions for activating the loan to Greece. The Greens-EFA Group would like a meeting of the conference of presidents of the EP political groups to be organised this week with the president of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, and Commissioner Rehn. (A.B./transl.fl)