Prime Minister Antonis
Samaras called on Greeks to ignore the “irresponsible” promises of his
political rivals and pledged he won’t let the troika force through any more
budget cuts.
“Certain terms have been set that include
increasing taxes and reducing incomes, and those terms we have rejected,”
Samaras said. “I’m telling you that straight.”
An official directly involved in the
negotiations said that another round of discussions may be needed before the
troika chiefs’ return to Athens to complete the bailout review. The discussion
may begin as early as today in an effort to narrow the gap between the two
sides, the official said. The official asked for anonymity, as the talks are
private.
Samaras is trying to muster the political
support to elect a new president by February and to prevent opposition leader
Alexis Tsipras from forcing an early election. Tsipras, who is leading in
opinion polls, has roiled financial markets saying he’ll reverse most of
Samaras’s economic adjustments and demand a write-down of the country’s debt.
The troika’s analysis showing that Greece’s
financial plans face a shortfall next year is wrong, Samaras said. Troika
officials are demanding the Greek government deliver an additional 2.5 billion
euros of savings next year, two people familiar with the talks said last month.
“The same thing happened in 2013, we were
proven right; the same thing happened in 2014, we were proven right,” Samaras
said. “Our budget will bring results that meet the fiscal targets, or even do
better.”
(Πηγή: bloomberg.com)
