Testing times ahead in relations between Athens and creditors

After Sunday's elections, the government has one week to form the strategy it will pursue in its negotiations with the eurozone creditors, as June 3, when the Euro Working Group convenes, will mark the beginning of a testing time in relations between Athens and its lenders.

It became clear as soon as the government handouts were announced 20 days ago in the presence of surprised technocrats in Athens that the move had annoyed the creditors. This was because of Athens' failure to inform the creditors in advance, as should have happened in the context of the enhanced surveillance.

The senior officials of the eurozone finance ministries will meet in Brussels next Monday, with Greece again on the table on the pretext of the creditors' third post-bailout report that was drafted when the mission chiefs were in Athens in early May.

Sources say that the report, which...