- Title: EUROZONE-GREECE/TALKS REAX Greeks divided as Athens restarts Brussels talks
- Date: 13th June 2015
- Summary: ATHENS, GREECE (JUNE 13, 2015)(REUTERS) VARIOUS OF TOURISTS IN FRONT OF GREEK PARLIAMENT TOURISTS POSING AND TAKING PHOTOS WITH THE PRESIDENTIAL GUARD VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WALKING AT CENTRAL SYNTAGMA SQUARE PEOPLE WALKING PAST FOUNTAIN IN SQUARE TOURISTS WITH LUGGAGE WALKING IN SQUARE (SOUNDBITE)(Greek) ATHENS RESIDENT, SABRINA, AGED 50, SAYING: "I wish that Greece, and Greek
- Embargoed: 28th June 2015 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Greece
- Country: Greece
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVACPKHW8XA9RI7GKWYI8RBFP28I
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Athens residents on Saturday (June 13) expressed hope but also concern as the Greek negotiating team was about to restart cash-for reforms talks in Brussels.
The Greek delegation flew to Brussels on Saturday with counter-proposals to bridge differences with Greece's EU and International Monetary Fund lenders and avert a devastating default after senior European Union officials formally discussed for the first time a possible Greek debt default.
Fifty-year-old Athens resident Sabrina expressed optimism that a deal could be reached and said both sides needed to make concessions and keep Europe united.
"I wish that Greece, and Greeks of course, we would change our mentality and get more serious and trustworthy in our financial dealings. If this happens - and at the same time the other (European) countries admit that they have profited from the Greek debt crisis, then they must find a solution so that we remain a united Europe," she said.
Another Athens resident, U.S. born Kim Revitos who has lived in Greece for the past 20 years, said Greece had little choice but to accept its creditors' proposed reforms.
"I think in the end they are going to have to accept the package whether they agree with it or not. I don't think they have a choice. And both sides have a point but for the most part - it's common sense. You give people money, you have to pay it back, if you want more...They are playing hardball and I think in the end everyone loses," said the tour guide.
On Thursday (June 11) the IMF withdrew its team of experts from talks in Brussels over a failure to break a stalemate in the strenuous negotiations that have dragged for more than four months.
It is not clear whether the leftwing government can reach a deal with its lenders before an end-June deadline when Greece has to make a 1.6 billion euro payment to the IMF.
Fifty-two year old Vicky Sachinidou said that Greek politicians needed to make a decision about whether to stay in the eurozone - which a poll published this week showed an overwhelming 77.4 percent of Greeks favoured.
"Saying that we want to remain in the eurozone but that we don't want new measures is absurd, we have to make up our minds. Or we do what they tell us and we accept and implement whatever measures they want or we negotiate and accept the risk that we might have to leave it. But since it's a given that if we stay there will be catastrophe perhaps leaving might be better," said Sachinidou.
Greek Prime Minister Tsipras's government says it wants a deal with creditors that would keep Greece in the eurozone, but not at a cost of violating "red lines" such as deeper cuts to pensions and workers' rights.
But civil engineer, Efthimis Efthimoulis, said the reforms demanded by Athens under its current bailout programme were necessary if Greece wanted to return to growth.
"Definitely we need major reforms in the public and private sector and we need measures that will encourage growth. Businesses must be given the opportunity to start working again," 43 year-old Efthimoulis said.
Renewed uncertainty put European markets on the back foot and sent Greece's top share index down more than five percent on Friday.
Economists believe a solution remains possible but acknowledge that the creditors may soon tell Athens to accept their demands or face "Grexit" - market shorthand for Greece becoming the first country to exit the eurozone.
Greece does not believe its European partners will ultimately let the country leave the eurozone, Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis told the BBC on Saturday.
Standard & Poor's credit ratings agency downgraded four Greek banks on Friday (June 12). This followed its cut of Greece's sovereign rating on Wednesday deeper into junk territory. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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