Brussels/Riga, 27/04/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 27 April, the Greek authorities made a few changes to its team to carry out negotiations with the Brussels group (Commission, ECB and IMF), following the breakdown of the Eurogroup over the way the format has worked up to now.
Greece's representative within the Euro working group, the preparatory body of the Eurogroup, George Chouliarikis, will head up the talks with the Brussels group. He replaces Nikos Theoharakis, who will be tasked with devising a growth plan for Greece. The Brussels group was to hold a telephone conference on Monday, the Commission confirmed. These changes come as the Eurogroup has been forced to note that the current discussion methodology has gone as far as it can. “The main thing is for them to agree”, the Luxembourg minister, Pierre Gramegna, told an interview with EUROPE, following the Riga Ecofin on Saturday. He largely agreed with the Greek minister, adding that they would not be returning to the “old method”. The Greeks do not want to see the old troika back in Athens. Only technical teams are collecting data on the ground. The Greeks also decided to set up a team to assist them.
The Riga Eurogroup was particularly trying for the Greek minister, Yanis Varoufakis, who came up against the annoyance of his opposite numbers, some of whom are reported by Bloomberg to have gone as far as to describe him as an “amateur”. Slovenia and Slovakia are reported to have been amongst the most virulent. Over the weekend, the Greek minister quoted Franklin Roosevelt on Twitter: “They are unanimous in their hate for me; and I welcome their hatred”. “There is growing frustration because we do not have a detailed programme of reforms from the Greeks: until we do, it will be hard to have an opinion”, Pierre Gramegna explained. “We need to reach an agreement without further delay”, said the Cypriot minister Harris Georgiades, also in an interview.
Although it was hoped at one point that the Eurogroup of 11 May would be able to wrap the issue up, its President, Jeroen Dijsselbloem, now sees it as an opportunity to take stock. “I can only confirm what the Eurogroup President said”, commented Pierre Gramegna, adding that “nobody” was working on a plan B in the event of the breakdown of negotiations. Additionally, the latest opinion polls have shown that the Greek population was increasingly in favour of compromise on the part of the government, rather than confrontation. The Greek Prime Minister held talks with the German Chancellor and Jeroen Dijsselbloem on Sunday and, amongst other things, is reported to have called for an emergency Eurozone summit. (Elodie Lamer)