Germany says legislate now, debt relief discussions in 2018

EPA/PATRICK SEEGER via Naftemporiki

The lender’s technical teams are to return to Athens after 23 April to conclude negotiations on the progress of the Greek programme and make their recommendations to the next Eurogroup meeting.

The government says it will legislate additional measures demanded for 2019 and 2020  as long as there is progress in debt relief talks and Athens is offered tangible measures to significantly deal with its debt load.

Debt relief is necessary to make the Greek debt sustainable and enable Greece to participate in the QE programme of the European Central Bank.

Some high standing officials of the  Syriza party are said to be unhappy about the  agreement reached last Friday in Malta and the additional measures demanded by the lenders.

Meanwhile Germany still insists that Greece implements the additional austerity measures now, ruling out any debt relief discussions before end of the Greek programme in 2018.