No debt writedown or rolling back of reforms for Greece, says Finland's Stubb

By Eleni Varvitsioti

Finnish Prime Minister Alex Stubb is one of the 19 leaders in the eurozone that will be asked to sign a new agreement with Greece after the elections.

In an interview with Kathimerini one week before Greeks go to the polls he makes it clear that Finland would not accept a writedown of Greek debt and stresses that the new government should not expect to be offered one.

Although Stubb does not refer to SYRIZA specifically, he says that Greece has to complete its adjustment program without rolling back reforms and that only then would his country be willing to discuss the new government's ideas.

Finland is one of the core eurozone countries, along with Austria, Netherlands and Germany. During negotiations over the last few months, these countries have been pressing for the International Monetary Fund to retain a role in post-bailout Greece. Finland also argued at the most recent Eurogroup for Greece to only receive a one-month bailout extension because a longer one might have boosted the Finnish euroskpectic parties.

It is important to keep this in mind as Finland is due to hold elections in April and the government did not want to pass through Parliament an amendment that would give the impression of a let up in the intensity of the Greek program.

Greece's opposition party is claiming that if it wins the elections it will secure a debt writedown. Is this realistic as a goal and if not why? Do you think, there is momentum for such a discussion and could it be in the interest of Greece and eurozone as a whole?

No, a debt writedown is not something that would be in the interest of the eurozone and it would not be acceptable to Finland. It would not be in line with basic EU rules....

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