Euclid Tsakalotos

Tsakalotos attacks handout critics as austerity fans

Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos on Monday dismissed officials who have expressed concern over the government's handout policy ahead of the elections - including the head of the European Stability Mechanism, Klaus Regling - as "austerity supporters," although concerns are also being raised by others much closer to home, at the Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO).

Tsakalotos defends handouts, dismisses 'severe' reaction by Regling

A package of benefits announced in recent weeks are part of a broader plan and signal that Greece is turning a page following its exit from international bailouts last year, Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos has told the Athens-Macedonia news agency, adding that criticism of the handouts by some foreign officials has been "severe." 

Why Tsakalotos opted to skip the Eurogroup

Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos chose to skip last week's Eurogroup meeting in Brussels, where serious criticism was expressed against Greek government decisions. The minister's explanation for staying in Athens was that Greece would not be on the agenda of the eurozone finance ministers' talks, which he knew was not the case.

EU concerned about PM handouts as FinMin plans more

Handouts announced by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras ahead of municipal and European Parliament elections next week appear to have raised concerns among European Union governments over whether Greece will be able to honor its pledges to creditors even as Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos indicated that more relief measures are in the works. 

FinMin says government eyeing return of EKAS benefit for pensioners

Greek Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos said on Tuesday that the government is pondering the reintroduction of a "solidarity benefit" for low-income pensioners in a "more targeted form," along with other measures including making it harder for the state to seize the deposits of indebted businesses.

IMF mission chief: Measures in wrong direction

The tax measures announced by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Tuesday are in the opposite direction to where they should be headed, International Monetary Fund mission chief for Greece Peter Dolman said on Thursday in Athens, as European officials continued to informally express their concerns over the handouts.

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