Greek Politics
![Photo by Myrto Papadopoulos [www.myrtopapadopoulos.com]](resources/toolip/img-thumb/2013/11/06/tsipras_1000_myrto_0511-medium.jpg "Photo by Myrto Papadopoulos [www.myrtopapadopoulos.com]")
Amid risk of 2015 re-run, Greece searching for deal with lenders
The breakup of bailout talks on Tuesday, the government’s decision to table income tax and pension bills without the lenders’ approval and Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras announcing an unexpected visit to French President Francois Hollande have generated speculation about Greece experiencing a re-run of last summer’s tension.
Break in bailout talks leaves question mark over their conclusion
Another night of bailout talks in Athens on Monday failed to yield any tangible results, meaning Greece will have to remain on edge over the next few days as negotiators take a break for the International Monetary Fund’s spring meetings in Washington.
New party aims to mount challenge to the right of Mitsotakis's ND
The government’s growing problems in dealing with the refugee crisis and the prolonged negotiations with Greece’s lenders are damaging the coalition’s credibility and working in the favour of the opposition parties.
Greece and creditors eye compromise to move review along
Away from the rhetoric generated by Saturday’s WikiLeaks publication, Greece and its lenders appear to be edging towards a compromise on how to get the bailout review moving and to secure a disbursement before Athens runs into payment problems in July.
Athens in quandary over IMF as Fund's role in bailout is firmed up
The Greek government continued on Wednesday to give mixed messages about the International Monetary Fund’s involvement in the bailout, despite Chancellor Angela Merkel reaffirming Germany’s position that the IMF should be part of the programme following a meeting with the Fund’s managing director, Christine Lagarde, a day earlier.
Tsipras plays to domestic gallery over IMF dispute
Speaking to SYRIZA MPs on Monday night, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras gave no clear indication that he intends to use the furore over the WikiLeaks transcript to force a situation in which the International Monetary Fund leaves the Greek programme.
Migrant arrivals to measure impact of return scheme launched on Monday
Greece returned 202 migrants on Monday, the first day that the European Union’s plan for stemming the migratory flow and resettling refugees directly from Turkey was put into action.
Leaked IMF exchange sours mood before bailout review resumes
This week will serve as a good guide to whether the furore over the publication by WikiLeaks of a secretly recorded conversation between Poul Thomsen, the head of the International Monetary Fund’s European department, and Delia Velculescu, the IMF mission chief will be a temporary domestic distraction or could undermine the uneasy relationship between Greece and its lenders, and among the institutions themselves.
New Democracy sticks by snap polls call as gov't looks to probe, tender for relief
Following Tuesday night’s tempestuous debate in Parliament, New Democracy stole a march on an apparently unprepared government by tabling on Wednesday a proposal for a parliamentary committee to investigate last year’s bailout negotiations, the imposition of capital controls and the bank recapitalisation.
Calls for snap polls, parliamentary probes set tone for polarised politics
Tuesday night’s parliamentary debate, which was supposed to focus on judicial issues, turned into a slanging match between the government and the opposition and set the tone for the upcoming months as far as the Greek political scene is concerned.