EUROZONE-GREECE/ATHENS MORNING Pessimism among Greeks over bailout reforms implementation

Record ID: 145888

  • Title: EUROZONE-GREECE/ATHENS MORNING Pessimism among Greeks over bailout reforms implementation
  • Date: 29th July 2015
  • Summary: ATHENS, GREECE (JULY 29, 2015) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF SYNTAGMA SQUARE VARIOUS OF FOUNTAIN PEOPLE WALKING PAST FOUNTAIN PEOPLE WALKING IN STREET (SOUNDBITE) (Greek) IOANNIS SIMARESIS, ECONOMIST, SAYING: "Unfortunately, I believe that we have not escaped the danger of Greece's exit and this will become apparent in the next one, two months. There is political instability in the
  • Embargoed: 13th August 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Greece
  • Country: Greece
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVADNCKCDXPYEXM2KXNT77LAH6KU
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Greeks said on Wednesday (July 29) they were pessimistic that reforms in the 86 billion euros ($95 billion) bailout package will ever be implemented.
    Their pessimism stems from a perceived war of nerves between Greece and its international creditors and the chaos in Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras' ruling Syriza party.
    On Tuesday July.28, there were conflicting statements between Athens and Brussels on the pace and conduct of bailout talks and whether or not Greece needs to enact further laws before a deal is made that will keep Greece in the eurozone.
    Compounding the problem is the crisis in the anti-bailout Syriza party which has been purged of its most radical members after they rejected bailout measures which eventually passed in parliament, thanks to pro-EU opposition parties.
    Tsipras had also said he did not agree with the measures, but they were necessary to keep Greece in the eurozone, and he will implement the reform measures agreed at a eurozone summit earlier this month, but no more.
    For weary Greeks, still feeling the pain of austerity measures imposed since 2010 when the country officially declared it was bankrupt, the latest developments are just making things harder and more painful.
    "Unfortunately, I believe that we have not escaped the danger of Greece's exit and this will become apparent in the next one, two months," said economist Ioannis Simaresis, referring to Greece's potential exit from the eurozone. He also said the lack of political will has weakened Greece's bargaining position, "There is political instability in the country, no one knows whether we will have elections, I don't think the situation could be any worse."
    "Since they have signed this 'famous' agreement, if they manage to implement what they agreed, then I believe that at some point Greece will leave this stalemate. However, no matter what we say about our politicians, they are our mirror," said 62-year-old pensioner Aris who criticises Greeks and says they deserve the politicians they vote for.
    Technical experts representing the four international creditors - European Commission, the ECB and the IMF, as well as the eurozone's rescue fund, the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) - are in Athens to pave the way for the arrival of their chiefs of mission who will be holding talks with the government for the three-year bailout programme.
    In a sign of the deepening rift within Syriza, three far-left members of the 11 officials on the party's political committee that met on Tuesday, demanded the government break off negotiations with EU/IMF creditors and return to its anti-bailout roots.
    Fifty-nine-year-old Dimitris said Tsipras must do more to compromise to ensure the survival and success of Syriza and consequently, the country.
    "He must try a bit harder to reach a compromise with the other dissidents and create a new platform so that they can come to an understanding, because if the others come to power it will be much worse for us," he said.
    Fifty-five-year-old jewellery maker Costas said that it was Tsipras' responsibility to implement the reforms made, but had little faith in the outcome.
    "He should implement them. That's why people voted for him to implement them, but I don't think anything of essence is happening and I don't see anything changing to the people, to the society and in general in Greece," said Costas.
    The rift within Syriza and the ongoing bailout talks were headlined in Greek newspapers, on Wednesday.
    When Tsipras' radical leftist Syriza movement won power in January, it initially sought to scrap the previous bailout, reverse austerity measures demanded by the creditors and exclude the IMF from any future talks.
    Also hanging over the new talks is the legacy of former finance minister Yanis Varoufakis, whom Tsipras sidelined in the final phase of the talks before accepting even more stringent bailout terms this month.
    The Marxist academic resigned after Tsipras rejected his proposals for radical steps to create a parallel payment system to get around the closure of Greek banks and the imposition of capital controls on June 28.
    But he continues to create problems for the premier by denouncing the bailout agreement and accusing the creditors of having treated Greece like a colony.
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