ECB

The US Congressional Monetary Policy and Trade Subcommittee held a hearing on Thursday to evaluate lessons from the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) bailout of Greece in 2010 and 2012.

Euro zone finance ministers should not be hurried to reach an agreement with Greece on reforms Athens must deliver to get new cheap loans because of elections in several European countries, Belgian Finance Minister Johan Van Overtveldt said.

Eurozone President Jeroen Dijsselbloem has issued a written statement following the informal mini-Eurozone meeting in Brussels, late Friday. “Today the Greek minister of Finance, the institutions (European Commission, ECB, ESM and IMF) and I had a constructive meeting on the state of play of the second review.

Eurogroup President Jeroen Dijsselbloem said the size of Greece’s primary budget surplus, which excludes interest payments, would be one topic of discussion at a planned meeting in Brussels later on Friday. Apart from Mr.

According to Handelsblatt the German government is processing an alternative plan should the IMF chooses to leave the Greek program, something that becomes increasingly possible as time passes by.

Eurozone finance ministers should agree on Monday on a short-term plan to ease Greece's debt payments schedule at a meeting in Brussels, French Finance Minister Michel Sapin said.

Sapin's comments contrasted with those of German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble on Sunday, who said Greece must carry out structural reforms instead of receiving debt relief.

Adjusting Greece’s debt will bring about undesired results according German finance minister Wolfgang Schäuble. “The country won’t have problems servicing its debt in the next ten years,” he said.

If there is one electoral promise that most political leaders in Greece failed to honor once elected to power, it is the size of their cabinet. As far as I remember, the commitment for a smaller, more efficient and less costly cabinet was the common denominator of all Greek parties' programs.

The Greek on economic matters, headed by Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos is expected to depart for the annual IMF meeting in Washington, Wednesday. The highly anticipated conference, which will also be attended by all Eurozone Ministers, is expected to clarify the stance of the Fund on the Greek bailout program.

The Greek government is being prepared to retreat so as to put an end to the ongoing negotiations and accept cuts in salaries and pensions in return for Europeans’ promises of a debt relief debate which could take months, while any decision to be taken will concern the period after 2023.