Eurogroup

It is evident from a series of public statements that the new government is viewed positively by the representatives of Greece's creditors and European partners as they expect better cooperation and more steadfast reform policies.

Nevertheless, the first positive signals do mean that creditors are prepared to change the basic targets of economic policy.

As the International Monetary Fund prepares to choose a new managing director to replace Christine Lagarde, who is to leave the post in the coming months, CNBC has reported that former Greek Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos is among the candidates in the running for the job.

The EU's health and food safety commissioner, Vytenis Andriukaitis, called on Romania on Wednesday to halt the export of 70,000 sheep to the Persian Gulf this month due to the extreme temperatures expected in the area that would make impossible to guarantee that the animals would not suffer in transit.

Eurozone finance ministers welcomed Croatia's application to join the currency union, BNT reported.

Yesterday Zagreb filed its official application for entry into the European Monetary Mechanism, known as the "eurozone waiting room". 

Greece's creditors rejected the calls of the country's new conservative government to alleviate the strict budgetary conditions agreed in the rescue program.

Croatia has filed a formal application to join the European Monetary Mechanism (ERM-2), an early stage on the road to euro membership, also known as the eurozone "waiting room," Reuters reported, quoted by Econ.bg

This was announced on Monday evening by the eurogroup chairman (eurozone finance ministers), the Portuguese finance minister, Māriu Sentenu, quoted by Reuters.

Discussion on Greece was brief at Monday's Eurogroup, but the council of eurozone finance minsters sent a clear message to Athens that creditors are ready to cooperate with the new government while warning that the handouts announced in May by the previous administration are putting growth and fiscal targets at risk.

The Bulgarian candidature for eurozone membership will be discussed at a meeting of Eurogroup finance ministers. The point has entered the last minute on the agenda. It is envisaged that ministers will discuss Bulgaria's progress in relation to its desire to join the ERM II.

As Athens digests the results of Sunday's general election, eurozone finance ministers will have Greece as one of the main courses at Monday afternoon's Eurogroup in Brussels. This had already been decided last month, as today's meeting intends to send a message to the new government, even if it is struggling to wake up from a night of celebrations.

This is the first time in years that Greece has experienced such a subdued campaign period.

Just two-and-a-half weeks before the parliamentary election and with New Democracy maintaining a large lead in all opinion polls everyone appears to have accepted what the result will be.