Latest News from Greece
Gaps between Greece and lenders remain as Eurogroup looms
Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis is to face his eurozone peers again on Saturday for a critical summit where Greece is being pressed to decide whether to accept the latest proposal by the country?s creditors or face default and a potential exit from the eurozone.
Cameron quoted as saying Grexit might be better option for Athens
Newly re-elected British PM David Cameron, whose UK is proudly not a eurozone member, was reportedly quoted on Friday as saying “Grexit” might “be better” for Greece.
Guardian ran the story late in the afternoon, attributing the comment to a “leaked diplomatic document”.
The main obstacles to an accord
VAT, sell-offs, corporate taxation, various exemptions and defense spending are principal sticking points
By Prokopis Hatzinikolaou & Sotiris Nikas
Greek PM Dismisses Latest Bailout Proposal, Accuses Creditors of Blackmail
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras dismissed on Friday the latest proposal of the international creditors to extend the country's bailout, criticising their approach as unacceptable.
Tsipras stressed that the founding principles of the EU were democracy, solidarity, equality and mutual respect rather than ultimatums and blackmail, the Greek Reporter informs.
Tsipras reportedly confides to other EU leader: Snap elex if necessary
Greek PM Alexis Tsipras reportedly told a European leader, identified as hailing from a eurozone member with a pro-Athens stance, that given the continuing impasse in talks with creditors he’s ready to even call snap elections.
The report was leaked to protothema.gr by sources close to the Greek PM.
Athens cites reason why it rejected creditors’ latest proposal – Tsipras vid
The Greek government issued one of its now infamous “non papers” to detail the reasons why it rejected a new proposal by creditors on Friday for a five-month extension of the current (and soon to end) bailout agreement.
Turkey leadership in Balkans needed: NATO
There is a need to start talking about Turkey's leadership on certain issues, said a high level NATO official, placing the Balkans on the top of the list.
"We can't solve some problems without Turkey. That's clear. So we need to start talking about Turkey's leadership; we don't hear it so much," said the deputy assistant secretary general of NATO, Jamie Shea, June 26.
Tsipras: EU principles based on democracy, not blackmail
The European Union?s founding principles were based on ?democracy, equality, solidarity and mutual respect? and no one had the right to put them in danger said Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras following a EU summit in Brussels on Friday.
UK, Germany Back Exemption for Bulgaria from EU's Refugee Resettlement Scheme - PM
The UK and Germany back Bulgaria's request for an exemption from the EU's refugee resettlement scheme for 40 000 refugees now in Italy and Greece, according to Prime Minister Boyko Borisov.
EU leaders decided at a summit on Friday that 40 000 refugees would be relocated from Greece and Italy to other EU Member States over the next two years.
Merkel, Hollande dangle financing before Tsipras
By Renee Maltezou & Julien Ponthus
The leaders of Germany and France offered to release billions in frozen aid on Friday in a last-minute push to talk Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras into contentious pension reforms in exchange for filling Athens' empty coffers until November.
Croatia to Take Share of EU Refugee Burden
Croatian Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic on Thursday said his country is willing to accept a share of the 40,000 refugees, mainly from Syria and Eritrea, who recently arrived in Greece and Italy, which Brussels wants distributed round the EU.
Milanovic made the offer ahead of an EU summit dominated by migration issues and the Greek crisis.
Schaeuble says greater risk in Greece crisis is euro credibility
By Boris Groendahl & Paul Gordon
German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble warned that the ?far greater risk? in resolving the Greek crisis is the harm a weak deal could do to the credibility of the euro.
Greek companies avoid 'G' word to access bond markets abroad
By Luca Casiraghi
Greece has become such a dirty word in international debt markets that companies are shunning any links to the country to access funds.
Eurozone can help Greece repay debt in 5 month bailout extension
The eurozone can help Greece repay maturing debt in the coming months with money that remains available to Athens under the current bailout if the programme is extended by five months to November, a note prepared for eurozone finance ministers said.
NY Times: Bulgaria Fears Spillover of Greece Baking Trouble
Bulgaria "has found itself under unwelcome scrutiny from financial experts and Western banks worried that Greece's troubles could spread havoc farther afield," the New York Times writes in an article on Bulgaria.