EUROZONE-GREECE/MORNING REAX-VAROUFAKIS Greeks want honourable compromise in debt talks

Record ID: 151472

  • Title: EUROZONE-GREECE/MORNING REAX-VAROUFAKIS Greeks want honourable compromise in debt talks
  • Date: 16th June 2015
  • Summary: ATHENS, GREECE (JUNE 16, 2015) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** PEOPLE WALKING ALONG SQUARE, VIEW OF PARLIAMENT IN BACKGROUND GREEK FLAG EXTERIOR OF GREEK PARLIAMENT VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WALKING ALONG SQUARE (SOUNDBITE) (Greek) ATHENS RESIDENT, 65, DIONYSIS GIORGIOPOULOS, SAYING: "I believe that we have reached the final stage of the negotiations. They (the
  • Embargoed: 1st July 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Greece
  • Country: Greece
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVABFRCOCJKTAC989MBD7S3JGO28
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Concerned and worried Athens residents on Tuesday (June 16) said they wanted Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras to find a compromise after Greece and its creditors hardened their stances.
    Talks aimed at preventing a default and possible euro exit failed on Sunday (June 14), prompting Germany's EU commissioner on Monday (June 15) to say the time had come to prepare for a "state of emergency".
    The latest poll published on Monday showed that two thirds of Greeks believe their leftist government will have to climb down in its standoff with the creditors and deliver the bulk of concessions needed to seal a deal.
    In the poll by GPO for Mega TV, 67.8 percent of respondents expected most of the compromises to be made by Athens. Only 19.4 percent believed the lenders, including the European Union, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund, will yield more to reach an agreement to unlock remaining aid.
    Many in Athens worry the government is digging its heels too deep. But they also don't want to lose face or be broken by creditor demands.
    "I believe that we have reached the final stage of the negotiations. They (the creditors) have proposed the maximum demands and we are half way and I believe they will find a solution. If they don't the consequences for Greece will be grave and for me this is a cause of serious concern," said Dionysis Giorgiopoulos, a 65-year old Athenian.
    "We want an honourable compromise. We want to stay inside the eurozone but we want to do it in an honourable way and not be humiliated. And of course we are worried. We are all worried," said Stelios Gimas, a 45-year old engineer.
    Fifty one year old teacher, Filio Boultouka, said she felt a mixture of exasperation and fear.
    "Time is running out and we are really worried. In my opinion we have nothing more to lose than what we've already lost. So of course I want there to be a solution because unemployment is rising, all businesses are going backwards and we are afraid of the consequences," she said.
    Athens now has just two weeks to find a way out of the impasse before it faces a 1.6 billion euro repayment due to the IMF, potentially leaving it out of cash, unable to borrow and dangling on the edge of the currency area.
    The European Commission said it would only resume mediation efforts if Greece put forward new proposals, while the Greek government spokesman said Athens was sticking to its rejection of wage and pension cuts and higher taxes on basic goods.
    Tsipras ignored pleas from European leaders to act fast. Instead he blamed creditors for Sunday's breakdown of the cash-for-reform talks. He said his government had a responsibility to defend Greece's dignity and would resist demands for further pension cuts.
    But the prime minister says he won't go back on promises made to those who voted him in and many, like Costas Ksideas, will hold him to that.
    "The government said they would tear up the bailout. Where? What did they do? They said they would tear it. Its been what? 4 or 5 months? What can I say? I am very disappointed," said Costas Ksideas, 71.
    Others, however, want cooler heads to prevail saying they don't mind a quiet reversal of election promises.
    "They have to act reasonably (Europeans and the Greek government) they can't go on digging their heels. Both sides must stop, they have to be more logical and they have to find a solution. They can't go on pushing Greeks into the abyss," said retired teacher, Angeliki Zacharaki.
    A Greek government official denied a German newspaper report that said there were plans for Greece to impose capital controls this weekend if the talks fail. A German government spokesman could not confirm the report.
    Athens residents said they were aware of the risk of capital controls if a deal was not reached and worried about where to put their money. Others are not paying their bills.
    Bankers said Greek banks suffered deposit outflows of about 400 million euros (449 million US dollars) on Monday (JUne 15) as the pace of daily withdrawals picked up from last week.
    European Central Bank President Mario Draghi said the ECB would keep approving emergency lending to Greek banks as long as they remained solvent but would monitor closely whether they had sufficient collateral and stressed the ECB could not allow its liquidity to be used illegally to finance the Greek government.
    Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis tried to calm the markets as he walked to a Syriza supporters meeting in Herakleion, Crete.
    "We don't have mandate to clash. We have mandate to negotiate and secure an agreement," Varoufakis said.
    "We don't want to sign another deal that extends the crisis like it was done in the past. We want this to be the last negotiation taking place under crisis conditions. I think anyone in our position, even if he is from New Democracy or any other party, would have the same sacred goal," he added.
    Tsipras on Tuesday was holding a meeting with party leaders on finding ways to seal the deal and avoid default.
    Before the talks he said he was seeking a "viable, long term deal".
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