- Title: EUROZONE-GREECE/EXPECTATIONS Optimism as Greece prepares for third bailout talks
- Date: 25th July 2015
- Summary: ATHENS, GREECE (JULY 25, 2015) (REUTERS) VARIOUS AERIALS OF ATHENS WITH PARTHENON TEMPLE ON ACROPOLIS HILL VARIOUS OF PARTHENON TEMPLE ON ACROPOLIS HILL/ SEA IN BACKGROUND VARIOUS OF GREEK PARLIAMENT AND CITY VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WALKING IN SYNTAGMA SQUARE GREEK PARLIAMENT VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WALKING ON SQUARE (SOUNDBITE) (Greek) CIVIL SERVANT, SPIRIDOULLA, SAYING: "Yes of cour
- Embargoed: 9th August 2015 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Greece
- Country: Greece
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA3RSIJX6A616WPE31B5IKD571H
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: As Greece prepares for its third bailout programme, there was optimism among residents in the capital on Saturday (July 25) that the country could finally be on the right course.
Although talks between Greece and its international creditors were supposed to begin on Friday (July 24), they were delayed due to security concerns.
Many Greeks say they have finally accepted the reality of austerity years ahead.
The government of leftist Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras held five months of acrimonious talks with the creditors before they finally offered to start talks on a new bailout - and only after the government missed a debt repayment to the International Monetary Fund and had to close local banks for three weeks.
Tsipras accepted the creditors' terms even though Greek voters had rejected an earlier offer in a referendum.
The Greek parliament has approved two packages of reform measures, a prerequisite for starting the formal negotiations to hammer out details of the new bailout.
Tsipras had said he did not agree with the terms but it was necessary for Greece's survival.
This stance has earned the support of many Greeks who say Tsipras and his government will do better than its predecessors.
"Yes of course they are going to do better than the others. They are young people with fresh ideas. All the old ones have left so something better will come," said Spiridoulla, a civil servant.
"Of course we have high hopes. I believe that he will move in the right direction because our leader is very clever. I think he'll get rid of all those who disagree, and he will move forward. We need to be optimistic and we are optimistic," echoed by Athens resident, Konstatina.
"I believe that this government did the right thing. It's for the generations to come. It's a fact that things are hard and they are going to get even harder. But our only hope for something to be built, for the future generations, is what this government did," said pensioner Makis.
However, not all Greeks are so optimistic.
"I think that it's going to be very tough for them to implement all these things, really hard. I hope that people will support them and want them to be implemented, but I think it's going to be really hard," said engineer Andreas Botis.
Greeks say that everyone - the government, the institutions, and the people - will now have to take responsibility for the country.
"I don't expect much change. What I do expect is that for Greece to finally face its responsibilities. For so many years, the country has been deluding itself. They can't keep trying to trick our lenders. And they have to realise that, for example, when I go the bank for a loan, I don't set the terms, they set the terms," said legal professional, Gerasimos Manousis.
Athens hopes this time the negotiations for the 86 billion euros (94 billion U.S. dollars) bailout package will be speedier than before and can be concluded by August 12 so the deal can gain parliamentary approval before a bond repayment to the European Central Bank that is due on August 20. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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