Greek PM defends EU-IMF debt plea
Monday, 26 April 2010
ATHENS, April 25 (AFP): Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou said yesterday that an EU and IMF debt lifeline plan was "not pleasant" but vital, as calls grew in Germany for Athens to consider quitting the eurozone.
Papandreou made a desperate request a day earlier for a 45- billion-euro (60- billion-dollar) aid package-the first ever from a eurozone nation-overshadowing a meeting of IMF finance ministers in Washington Saturday.
The appeal prompted pledges of swift action from the European Union and International Monetary Fund, but caused anger in Greece where there have been months of strikes and protests at harsh austerity measures.
Papandreou said he was fighting to "regain our autonomy" and again blamed the previous conservative government for the debt crisis.
The Greek press on Saturday appeared resigned to having recourse to EU aid but feared a bitter pill from the IMF.
The pro-government Ta Nea branded the move "hard but necessary" but the left-wing Eleftherotypia urged the Socialist government to keep Papandreou's promises to end waste, crack down on tax fraud and speed up development projects.
EU president Herman Van Rompuy said in a statement Saturday that eurozone nations were taking the necessary steps to be able to deliver "swift assistance" to their debt-laden partner.
The 15 "other euro area member states will decide on the amount of support and conditionality," said Van Rompuy, but have "engaged the necessary steps at national level in order to be able to deliver swift assistance to Greece."
The IMF began its preparations several months ago as Athens found itself mired deeper in the budget crisis that has threatened to spread to the other eurozone members.
The Fund has said it will move "expeditiously" on the request, the first since the 16-member bloc was formed more than a decade ago.
Despite Van Rompuy's assurances, Europe's biggest economy, Germany, has been been cool towards a bail-out, saying the rescue plan should only be implemented if the euro's stability is at threat and Athens adopts austerity measures.
Papandreou made a desperate request a day earlier for a 45- billion-euro (60- billion-dollar) aid package-the first ever from a eurozone nation-overshadowing a meeting of IMF finance ministers in Washington Saturday.
The appeal prompted pledges of swift action from the European Union and International Monetary Fund, but caused anger in Greece where there have been months of strikes and protests at harsh austerity measures.
Papandreou said he was fighting to "regain our autonomy" and again blamed the previous conservative government for the debt crisis.
The Greek press on Saturday appeared resigned to having recourse to EU aid but feared a bitter pill from the IMF.
The pro-government Ta Nea branded the move "hard but necessary" but the left-wing Eleftherotypia urged the Socialist government to keep Papandreou's promises to end waste, crack down on tax fraud and speed up development projects.
EU president Herman Van Rompuy said in a statement Saturday that eurozone nations were taking the necessary steps to be able to deliver "swift assistance" to their debt-laden partner.
The 15 "other euro area member states will decide on the amount of support and conditionality," said Van Rompuy, but have "engaged the necessary steps at national level in order to be able to deliver swift assistance to Greece."
The IMF began its preparations several months ago as Athens found itself mired deeper in the budget crisis that has threatened to spread to the other eurozone members.
The Fund has said it will move "expeditiously" on the request, the first since the 16-member bloc was formed more than a decade ago.
Despite Van Rompuy's assurances, Europe's biggest economy, Germany, has been been cool towards a bail-out, saying the rescue plan should only be implemented if the euro's stability is at threat and Athens adopts austerity measures.