Greek hopes of a political solution to the standoff between Athens and the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) with the help of Angela Merkel were dashed yesterday after the German chancellor told Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras that a decision on the matter lies not with Berlin but the country’s creditors – the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund – and the Eurogroup.
“This is not the place for decisions to be taken. That is in good hands with the three institutions and the Eurogroup,” Merkel said during a joint press conference before the meeting on Friday in the German capital, adding that “the Greek prime minister’s assessment of the situation will certainly play a role in our discussions,”
Tsipras went to Berlin hoping to get sympathy [“a political solution”] from the German chancellor and to convince her to intervene on the side of Greece. However, Mrs Merkel has consistently rejected appeals for a political solution to the problems of Greece since 2010 when then prime minister Papandreou first visited Berlin hoping for a political solution. And all subsequent approaches by Greek governments since have been referred to the eurogroup, accompanied by some statement about keeping the terms of the agreement. Mrs Merkel was not expected to change her stance this time, a year before the federal elections.
An ever optimistic Tsipras, for his part outlined the progress made by the Greek economy and stressed the importance of the debt relief and Greece’s incorporation in the ECB’s quantitative easing mechanism, hoping that Mrs Merkel will make a rational decision. He said it was necessary for the country’s partners to “take courageous decisions”, something that the German government have shown time and time again that they are not willing to do.
The difference is that now the Franco – German front on the Greek crisis shows signs of strain, with the French president and some key officials of the EU expressing their qualified support for Athens.
Source: eKathimerini
