- Title: EUROZONE-GREECE/FRANCE-REACTIONS Ball is in Athens' camp says EU's Moscovici
- Date: 8th July 2015
- Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (JULY 8, 2015) (REUTERS) HEADLINE ON FRONT PAGE OF FRENCH DAILY NEWSPAPER "LE FIGARO" READING (French): "ALEXIS TSIPRAS PLAYS WITH THE NERVES OF THE EUROPEANS"
- Embargoed: 23rd July 2015 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: France
- Country: France
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVADM1BUG7T3LN4ALWDCYY1QJYST
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: EU Economics Commissioner Pierre Moscovici said on Wednesday (July 8) on French television France 2 it was up to the Greeks to find new ways to solve the country's debt crisis and that a deal was now in sight.
Eurozone members have given Greece until the end of the week to come up with fresh proposals in return for loans that will keep the country from crashing out of Europe's currency bloc.
All 28 European Union leaders are due to meet on Sunday.
"The ball is clearly in the Greek authorities' camp, in the Greek government's camp, we are waiting in the coming hours a financial assistance request, that's what we call a program, that's what we call the European stability mechanism which is a kind of European monetary fund and the decision has to be taken in the next coming days. We are in the "money time" as they say in basketball. By Sunday, a solution needs to be found, I think it can be," Moscovici said.
ECB Governing Council member Christian Noyer said on French radio Europe 1 that Sunday was the last chance to reach a deal and avoid a catastrophe for the Greek economy.
"I fear that if there is no agreement on Sunday the Greek economy will collapse and there will be chaos. The banks are on the verge of rupture, we have maintained them with a lifeline for months, but we will reach a point when it won't be possible anymore," Noyer said.
On the streets of Paris, people said European countries had to continue to support Greece but not give in to Tsipras conditions.
"It's sad but we have to go on. I think we should negotiate again but not give in because Tsipras is from the far-left. We have to strike a balance but we should not abandon them, they shouldn't leave the eurozone, because if they leave it will open the doors for the other countries like Spain, Portugal and Italy whose situations are not that good," Beatrice Doreau said.
"If it doesn't work, if we don't manage to have Greece remain (in the eurozone), it will mean a failure for Europe, clearly. Greece has to remain, we have to help each other, it is one of Europe's principles, we have to support her (Greece), it has to remain (in the eurozone)," Olivier Freneau said.
Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has until Friday to present a proposal for sweeping reforms in return for loans that will keep the country from crashing out of Europe's currency bloc and into economic ruin, but German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she hoped to have convincing reform commitments from Tsipras on Thursday so she could ask the German parliament to authorise negotiations on a new aid programme.
At an emergency summit in Brussels on Tuesday, representatives of the 19-country eurozone said all 28 European Union leaders would meet on Sunday to decide Greece's fate. The talks were organised after Greeks voted in a referendum on Sunday against a bailout that carried stringent austerity measures. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None