Merkel rules out talks on aid to Greece before the referendum – Puls Biznesu

“We are waiting now for the referendum. Before the referendum there can be no discussion about a new aid program,” – said Merkel in the Bundestag, referring to the proposal of Prime Minister of Greece Alexis Ciprasa of new aid, directed Tuesday evening to creditors.

As pointed out by the Chancellor, discussion of new aid “is not possible without the mandate of the Bundestag” because “we are in a legal area EMS”, namely the European Stability Mechanism. Previous aid program for Greece has expired on the night of Tuesday to Wednesday.

The head of the German government emphasized that the EU could “calmly wait for the outcome of the referendum”. “Europe is strong, much stronger than five years ago, at the start of the European debt crisis,” – said Merkel. Other Eurozone countries do not have – in her opinion – fear of economic disaster. “The future of Europe is not threatened,” – he assured the Chancellor.

Merkel reiterated that the door to talks with the Greek government “were and remain open”. “We owe it to the people (in Greece) and Europe” – she pointed out.

She threw the Greek authorities’ unilateral breach of the talks “. She admitted that Greece was the sovereign right to declare the referendum, but the other euro area countries have the same right to respond to the attitude of Athens. The EU is “a community of law and responsibility” – she noted. As the most important feature of the EU considered the “ability to compromise, binding all – and Greece, and Germany and France.”

Merkel spoke out against “compromise at any cost”. Good European is not according to the Chancellor, who is looking for a compromise at any cost, but the one who “respects the European treaties and national law, in order to protect the stability of the euro area.”

The leader of the opposition in the Bundestag, head The Left parties accused Merkel Gregor Gysi desire to overthrow the leftist government in Greece. “Waiting lady to Sunday, hoping that the government Syrizy fall. This highly irresponsible,” – said the deputy. Merkel, in his opinion, may go down in history “or as the savior of Greece, or as the Destroyer”. “I hope that you will save Greece,” – said Gysi, noting that it is its historical responsibility.

Greek Prime Cipras is ready to sign a new agreement with Euroland and the IMF – said Wednesday Peter Spiegel, Brussels correspondent British newspaper “Financial Times”, citing a letter that the head of the Greek government had to send to creditors on Tuesday evening.

The contents of the letter, made available by the editors ‘FT’, that Cipras asked only modest concessions compared with the original proposal of institutions (European Commission, IMF, ECB), among others to maintain the reduced VAT rate for the Greek islands and transitional periods for changes in the pension system.