Brussels, 24/07/2012 (Agence Europe) - The president of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, is to meet the head of the Greek government, Antonis Samaras, during a visit to Athens on Thursday 26 July, his first trip to Greece since June 2009. According to a Commission spokesman, the meeting comes in the context of regular contacts between Barroso and the members of the European Council. Barroso is expected to discuss the general economic situation in Europe with, as one might expect, focus on the situation in Greece. Samaras held meetings on Tuesday afternoon with Greek Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras and Development Minister Kostis Hatzidakis. Stournaras is also expected to meet the Troika delegation (European Commission/IMF/ECB) on Thursday and seek to reassure fund providers that his country is indeed resolved to keep to its budgetary and macro-economic commitments, the indispensable condition for Greece to remain eligible for bail-out funding from international creditors. The European Commission pointed out on Monday that any future disbursement for Greece would be decided on the basis of the results of the Troika's mission, whose conclusions are due in September (see EUROPE 10661).
Since early last weekend, European media have been speculating over Greece's possible exit from the eurozone. Such a scenario was nonetheless dismissed by the Commission on Monday and also on Tuesday by the Austrian finance minister, Maria Fekter, according to the website of the Greek daily, Ekathimerini. Fekter said such a possibility was not being discussed “for now”. She took the side of the Commission, pointing out that it was necessary to wait for the conclusions of the Troika mission before any conclusions could be drawn.
European leaders, however, do not seem unanimous on this point. On Tuesday, the German daily, Passauer Neue Presse, published comments made by an ally of Angela Merkel, Patrick Doering (FDP), who said that Greece would address its problems more effectively if it left the eurozone, arguing that this could “restore market confidence”. His remarks echo those of the minister for the economy, Philipp Roesler, who, when speaking on the German channel ARD over the weekend, said that the prospect of Greece leaving the euro was now so familiar it had “lost its horror”.
These comments come at a time when markets are particularly nervous about what lies in store for the eurozone. This does nothing to ease the situation in Spain, which is still seeking to finance its debts autonomously (see related article). (EL/transl.jl)