Eurogroup/Greece
Urgent need for rapid and democratic conclusion of negotiation
Commenting on the outcome of the Eurogroup meeting, Greens/EFA co-presidents Rebecca Harms and Philippe Lamberts said:
“Despite the improvements in tone of the negotiations and the fact that they have accelerated over the last few weeks, major concerns remain. Lack of meaningful progress in these negotiations will worsen economic and social hardship in Greece. The cash squeeze in the country will go on as long as there are no clear prospects for a successful conclusion of the current negotiations.
The Greek Minister of Finances yesterday hinted that common ground can be found between the two parties. It would help if the Greek government as well as the EU institutions could be explicit as to what this middle ground would be. The Eurogroup should assume its responsibility by acknowledging that the issues regarding labour market reforms and minimum wages in the private sector could be dealt with in the framework of a third programme, which would therefore allow for the successful conclusion of the current negotiations. Such a breakthrough would be facilitated if, as advocated by the Greens over the past few years, the opaque and inefficient troika methodology is replaced by a community framework which is democratically accountable and less prone to conflicts of interest. This would give the institutions a clear and transparent mandate and restrict the ECB to a role of silent observer. With the future of the euro area at stake, we need an urgent debate in the next European Parliament plenary regarding the state of play in the negotiations, based on full publication of both the troika demands and the offers of Greece.”
