Meeting in plenary on Wednesday 4 July, the members of the European Parliament expressed a very wide range of different positions on the conduct of and exit from the third Greek bailout plan, during an exchange with Pierre Moscovici, the Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, and Mario Centeno, the President of the Eurogroup.
This exchange took place with the meeting of the Eurogroup of 21 June having set the framework for Athens to come out of the third and final financial assistance plan, which will take effect on 20 August (see EUROPE 12046).
By way of introduction to the debate, Moscovici and Centeno took pains to stress the benefits of ending this bailout plan and its importance for both the Hellenic Republic and the Eurozone. Thanks to the end of the plan “the economic crisis that hit us so violently is well and truly behind us”, said the Commissioner. The two men also recognised the efforts made by the Greek people and authorities over Athens' eight years of financial tutelage. They briefly set out the key points attached to this exit: the post-programme surveillance framework, the disbursement of a final tranche of aid and debt relief measures.
However, as in recent years, the implementation and results of these bailout plans remain divisive.
Manolis Kefalogiannis (EPP, Greece), whose political party is in opposition in Greece, first of all criticised Moscovici's comments, accusing him of harbouring political ambitions with a view to the forthcoming European elections, before slamming the post-programme surveillance measures. “It is effectively a fourth financial assistance programme”, he said. For different reasons, Bernd Lucke (ECR, Germany), Philippe Lamberts (Greens/EFA, Belgium) and Marco Valli (EFDD, Italy) also expressed criticism of the measures that accompanied the financial assistance plans or post-programme measures.
In the opposite corner, Dimitrios Papadomoulis (GUE/NGL, Greece) expressed his satisfaction at the end of the third bailout plan, stressing the suffering endured by the Greek people and the socio-economic challenges that await Athens. Ramon Tremose i Balcells (ALDE, Spain) also welcomed this “very good news” for Greece and Europe, also calling on the government of Alexis Tsipras to implement all reforms voted through by the Vouli, the Greek single-chamber parliament.
Replying to the MEPs, Moscovici said that this post-programme surveillance framework was not effectively a fourth bailout plan, repeating the same rhetoric he used on his visit to Athens the day before (see EUROPE 12054). He also made a point of denying any political ambition in his approach, stressing that this criticism did not come from a place of honesty. (Original version in French by Lucas Tripoteau)