Politics
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.
Unease mounts as Greece prepares to implement EU-Turkey refugee deal
Greece is set to take on Friday the next step in preparing for the implementation of the European Union’s agreement with Turkey regarding the return and resettlement of refugees.
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.
Optimism for Cyprus solution abounds but talks at delicate phase
A visit by European Parliament president Martin Schulz to Cyprus on Wednesday added to the sense that the EU is holding out high hopes for a successful conclusion to the island’s reunification talks this year.
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.
Obstacles to centre-left alliance in Greek politics piling up
PASOK leader Fofi Gennimata is set to begin touring the country to raise the profile of her party but has not given up hope of brokering an alliance with some of its rivals even though this is increasingly looking like a non-starter.