Heather D. Gibson

Hours after conservative Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced that Greece will soon remove the last remaining capital controls imposed on bank depositors at the height of the financial crisis, former finance minister Euclid Tsakalotos accused the government of piggybacking on his administration's efforts to lift restrictions.

Greek Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos says the conservative opposition New Democracy party has won the general election.

Tsakalotos spoke after exit polls for Sunday's election showed the governing left-wing SYRIZA trailing its main rivals by a significant margin.

Just three days before crucial European Parliament and local elections, Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos offered an accounting of the successes and defeats of the government during his nearly four years as minister even as he expressed concerns about the problems and future of the eurozone.

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).

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." 

Greece's conservative opposition party said on Thursday it was pleased to hear ruling SYRIZA will support New Democracy's plan to seek a lower primary surplus target if elected in government late this year.

Greek Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos is in the US with Alternate Minister Giorgos Houliarakis for talks with representatives of potential investors.

According to the ministry, Tsakalotos and Houliarakis are due to have their meeting in New York on July 9 and 10 and in Boston on July 11. 

The Finance Ministry announced on Tuesday that Minister Euclid Tsakalotos will receive European Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis at his office in Athens at 11.30 a.m. on Friday.

The meeting will be followed by a press conference.

Greek Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos will meet with European Economic and Financial Affairs Commissioner Pierre Moscovici in Athens on Thursday at 4.15 p.m., the ministry said.

The meeting will take place behind closed doors, the ministry said, adding that there will be no press briefing after the talks.
 

Greek Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos rings the closing bell of the New York Stock Exchange, celebrating the 13th Annual Greek-American Issuer Day held at the NYSE on Tuesday.