Politics
Mindful of role, Athens gears up for Cyprus Conference
Just under three weeks are left before the Cyprus Conference on January 12 in Geneva, which is seen as crucial for the fate of reunification talks.
After pension dispute with lenders, coalition faces domestic unease
Opposition parties pressed the government on Tuesday to make public the letter sent by Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos to the institutions to smooth over the row that broke out after the government decided to grant pensioners a 617-million-euro Christmas bonus from the excess surplus produced in 2016.
Dispute over handouts drags on, allowing tension with creditors to rise
The Greek government looks set to respond to the institutions’ apprehension about Greek commitment to the programme and its fiscal targets after Christmas, according to reports on Friday.
Tsipras mixes rhetoric as review conclusion demands political decisions
Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras continued to issue mixed messages on Wednesday: On the one hand, he defended his decision on the pension bonus despite his government frantic efforts to avoid this delaying short term debt relief, while on the other he insisted that the review could be concluded by the end of January and that talk of snap elections is “nonsense.”
Poll suggests scepticism about deal with lenders as Tsipras ponders options
Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras continued to focus on his domestic audience on Tuesday, when he visited Crete to hold a meeting with local farmers, but there is no getting away from the problems facing his government due to the loose ends it has left in its dealings with the institutions.
Tsipras gets no encouragement from lenders, left to consider next move
Following his meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin on Friday, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has a few days ahead to consider what action he wants to take next in what now looks set to be a prolonged negotiation with lenders over the second review.
Athens, Nicosia buoyed by EU role in Cyprus talks
The European Council’s decision on Thursday that the EU should participate in the upcoming Cyprus Conference in Switzerland was well received by Athens and Nicosia.
Tsipras wins domestic support for pension bonus but key struggles lie abroad
Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras heads for talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin on Friday boosted by broad support in Greek Parliament for his controversial pledge for a Christmas bonus to 1.6 million pensioners and knowing that he has put main opposition party New Democracy in a tricky position.
Lenders' reaction to pension pledge leaves Tsipras short of options
Greece’s negotiations with its lenders became more complex on Wednesday when the European Stability Mechanism revealed that it has put on hold the implementation of short-term debt relief measures agreed at this month’s Eurogroup because of doubts regarding the benefits for pensioners announced by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras last week.
Flare-up between Athens and IMF fuels doubts over review breakthrough
The omens for a productive visit by the institutions’ mission chiefs to Athens did not look particularly good on Monday as the dispute between Greece and the International Monetary Fund over fiscal targets in particular intensified just before talks were due to resume.