Troika ups pressure on Athens

Pressure on the government to make concessions to the troika grew on Monday as European officials indicated that a review by the country’s creditors must resume within the next couple of days if it is to be completed in time for a Eurogroup summit on December 8 when Greece’s post-bailout prospects are to be discussed.

By late last night it remained unclear when troika mission chiefs would return to Athens as the government and foreign officials continued to diverge on several key issues. Despite the apparent deadlock, Finance Minister Gikas Hardouvelis rebuffed reports that Greece had been given a 48-hour deadline to reach an agreement with creditors though he conceded that inspectors had not set a date for their return.

Prime Minister Antonis Samaras and his coalition partner, PASOK chief Evangelos Venizelos, are to meet Tuesday at 3 p.m. to discuss the situation. Sources close to the premier said the negotiations taking place by e-mail between Greek and troika officials are “extremely tough.” Venizelos struck a similar tone but indicated that the leftist opposition SYRIZA was chiefly to blame, noting that progress would be much easier if “we did not have such a barren and non-productive domestic political situation.” SYRIZA spokesman Panos Skourletis claimed that the government and the troika were one and the same, noting that Samaras consistently defended austerity policies.

A European Union official with knowledge of Greece’s negotiations with the troika told Kathimerini that there are still substantial differences to be resolved between the two sides before inspectors can return to Athens. A key bone of contention is the size of the fiscal gap for next year which the troika estimates to be more than 3 billion euros with the Greek side...