EU commits $2.15 billion to help Greek poor deal with crisis

BRUSSELS - The European Union committed $2.15 billion on Friday to help Athens with what EU leaders call the humanitarian crisis hitting Greeks in the wake of the financial crisis that left the nation on the brink of bankruptcy.

President Jean-Claude Juncker of the EU Commission said the funds will not be linked to international loans keeping Greece afloat but will aid people and companies hit hard by the crisis. Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras of Greece praised the decision.

‘‘It is a good sign,’’ he said. ‘‘It was recognized that there is a humanitarian crisis in our country and that there must be a common effort against it.’’

The pledge came hours after the EU leaders told Tsipras to come up with a raft of budget cuts and tax increases to improve his balance sheet before he gets more European bailout money. Tsipras refused to commit to a date of delivery, saying ‘‘deadlines only create more pressure.’’

Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany said Tsipras can decide what mix of budget cuts and tax increases to impose: ‘‘what’s important is that in the end the sums add up.’’

Fears remain that the hard line of the Greek government formed in January could cause the country to drop out of the euro, which would trigger a crisis for the currency shared by 19 nations. ‘‘A disorderly Greek exit from the euro remains a major threat to Europe’s economic stability,’’ Prime Minister David Cameron of Britain said.

European leaders have become exasperated by what is seen as foot-dragging on the part of Tsipras’s government. Greece agreed a month ago to push through reforms in exchange for EU help to keep it solvent, but delayed submitting the measures.

President Francois Hollande of France said Tsipras had recommitted to moving fast. ‘‘The Greek prime minister promised me that he would move as quickly as he can to present his reforms,’’ he said.

Adding to the European frustration, the Greek Parliament approved an antipoverty bill on Wednesday, and it did so without full consultation from its creditor partners.

Greece’s economic policies drew criticism even from nations outside the eurozone. Cameron marveled Thursday at how poorly the Greek economy has fared compared with Britain’s.

‘‘When I first came here as prime minister five years ago, Britain and Greece were virtually in the same boat. We had similar-sized budget deficits,’’ he said. ‘‘The reason we are in a different position is we took long-term, difficult decisions and we had all of the hard work and effort of the British people.’’

Greece is banking on the fact that its European partners all want to keep the eurozone intact, fearing that if Greece pulls out others might as well.

(Πηγή: www.bostonglobe.com)