EUROZONE-GREECE-CABINET DEPARTURES Greece sets parliament vote on reform commitments to EU

Record ID: 147928

  • Title: EUROZONE-GREECE-CABINET DEPARTURES Greece sets parliament vote on reform commitments to EU
  • Date: 9th July 2015
  • Summary: ATHENS, GREECE (JULY 9, 2015) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF EXTERIOR OF GREEK PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE GREEK AND EU FLAG ECONOMY MINISTER, GEORGE STATHAKIS, EXITING OFFICE AND WALKING DOWN STEPS STATHAKIS LEAVING SURROUNDED BY JOURNALISTS STATHAKIS WALKS AWAY AND ENTERS CAR INTERIOR MINISTER, NIKOS VOUTSIS, EXITING OFFICE, WALKING DOWN STEPS AND GETTING INTO CAR DEFENCE MINISTER, PA
  • Embargoed: 24th July 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Greece
  • Country: Greece
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVAEAPWAW85OO8NNZYO3X4DXIIFF
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: The Greek government sent a package of reform proposals to its eurozone creditors on Thursday in a race to win new funds to avert bankruptcy and will seek a parliamentary vote on Friday (July 9) to endorse immediate actions.
    The chairman of Eurogroup finance ministers, Jeroen Dijsselbloem, confirmed receiving the documents and said through a spokesman that he would not comment until they had been assessed by experts from the European Commission, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund.
    A Greek official said lawmakers would be asked to authorise the leftist government to negotiate a list of "prior actions" it would take before any fresh aid funds are disbursed, a key step to convince sceptical lenders of its serious intent.
    Leftist Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras spent the day with his cabinet drafting a last-ditch package of tax rises, pension reforms and economic liberalisation measures on which Greece's survival in the eurozone hinges.
    A further vote would be needed to turn them into law next week if eurozone leaders agree at a summit on Sunday that the proposals are a basis for starting negotiations on a three-year loan and releasing some bridging funds to keep Greece afloat.
    Greek banks have been closed since June 29, when capital controls were imposed and cash withdrawals rationed after the collapse of previous bailout talks. Greece defaulted on an IMF loan repayment the following day and now faces a critical July 20 bond redemption to the ECB, which it cannot make without aid.
    The country has had two bailouts worth 240 billion euros from the eurozone and the International Monetary Fund since 2010, but its economy has shrunk by a quarter, unemployment is more than 25 percent and one in two young people is out of work.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register