The Greek premier Antonis Samaras receives Troika representatives today (European Commission, ECB and IMF), who have returned to Athens this weekend to monitor the progress of the reform plan. The situation is tense, because Government coalition leaders disagree on what to do. The same international inspectors have already rejected around 2 billion euros of the proposed cuts.
As reported by the socialist leader Evangelos Venizelos, the disputes between Greek parties would focus on the extent of the planned interventions on pensions and social benefits. The leader of the Democratic Left, Fotis Kouvelis, warned: "Europeans must understand that the Greeks are fed up".
Greece recently agreed to go ahead with a new 11,5 billion euro austerity plan. Convincing the Troika of the adequacy of the new package is crucial in order to hope that the country will be able to obtain a new tranche of funding from the EU and the IMF. The inspectors' report is expected in October.
Along with Samaras, who leads the New Democracy conservatives, Greek political leaders will meet on Wednesday 12 September to try to settle differences. On the same date, the verdict of the Constitutional Court of Germany is expected on the ratification of the European treaty for the creation of the ESM, the new fund to save European states.
Tomorrow Samaras will also be in Frankfurt to meet the president of the ECB, Mario Draghi, which has just managed to prepare a new plan of possible calming interventions on government bonds. Finally, the informal meetings of the Eurogroup and Ecofin will be held in Cyprus on 14 and 15 September.
