The crisis bites more and more, and now, after the bailout plan for Greece and the monitoring of Italy, the request for assistance from theHungary. In fact, just today, the Budapest government sent the European Commission a request for "possible financial assistance from the EU". They let it be known by the same community executive who "received" the letter of help.
“At present there is one surveillance mission in Budapest“, admitted at the press conference Amadeu Altafaj, spokesman for the European commissioner for economic and monetary affairs Olli Rehn, this morning engaged in a meeting with the new Greek premier, Lucas Papademos. “We are in one preliminary phase” of the mission, and at the moment there is talk of “possible financial assistance” from Hungary, Altafaj underlined.
However, the EU Commission released a note stating that the Community body itself "will examine the request of the Hungarian authorities in close collaboration and continuous consultations with the member states and the International Monetary Fund". The crisis therefore widens, but in Brussels they minimize it. "At the moment it is not possible to confirm" any support for the Budapest government, Altafaj said.
In the same way, there is no unbalance on the Greek crisis. "We expect him to respect the commitments made on October 27", and this - articulated Rehn's spokesman - through "a clear and unequivocal commitment put in writing". Brussels therefore wants black and white guarantees to proceed with the payment of the sixth tranche of aid, a written commitment that "at the moment we do not have yet, but Papademos is here now".
In short, the new prime minister is eagerly awaited and it is hinted that the final details can be signed shortly. But beyond the optimism shown, concern for an increasingly delicate situation still filters through. It was leaked by the words of Altafaj, who said about Greece: “a clear commitment is needed. This would be important for Greece and for the European partners”. But they are increasingly in difficulty.
Today the president of the European Commission, Josè Manuel Barroso, will also meet the Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeld "to discuss the role of euro area countries and that of non-euro area countries", said Oliverier Bailly, spokesman for the EU Commission. A bilateral meeting on the crisis which demonstrates, through a frenetic work of meetings, the delicacy of the moment.
Tomorrow, then, it will be the turn of the'Italy: the Prime Minister, Mario Monti, will meet Barroso e the President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy. “The themes at the center of the meeting seem clear to me”, Bailly limited himself to saying. Crisis, reforms, compliance with the commitments made in the letter, balanced budget, financial consolidation, revival of opportunities and increased growth: these are the topics on the agenda.
