Greece will extend at least two years the deadline for the adjustments
The new government of the conservative Greek Andonis Samaras asked to extend “at least two years,” which runs until 2016, the deadline agreed with the “troika” to fulfill the plan of reforms and fiscal adjustments, according to the text of the government program made published today in Athens.
The document calls for extending the deadline agreed in February by the Acting Executive was in Greece and representatives of the Troika, comprising the European Commission (EC), European Central Bank (ECB) and International Monetary Fund (IMF), expected return to capital helena on Monday.
This agreement was then agreed with the interim government of “national unity” led by Lukas Papadimos technocrat.
The program executive who took this week has been signed by the three parties forming the coalition government: the conservative New Democracy (ND), PASOK (Socialists) and the small center-left Democratic Left (Dimar).
In addition to an extension of deadlines, Samaras intends to ask the European partners other modifications of austerity pact agreed with the European Union (EU) and the IMF.
Among others, hopes to suspend reductions in minimum wages and pensions, initially scheduled for this June.
“The reduction of employees in the public sector must take place not only for the replacement of staff who are retired,” stated in the text.
In the covenant of austerity, which included a commitment to reduce Athens at 150,000 the number of public officials.
The current government is scheduled to “improve public sector performance merging non profitable services and moving their staff to other office.”
He should try to restore collective wage agreements, to prevent further cuts in wages and pensions, increase the level of the minimum annual income tax free, and reduce the number of staff without a dismissal.
The program plans to extend the payment of unemployment benefits for one to two years, and offer assignments to the unemployed self-employed.
The proposal will confront Athens with partners in the euro area reluctant to renegotiate the package of severe conservation measures in exchange for loans of 130,000 million euros to save Greece from bankruptcy, though some have been willing to have some flexibility.
Most of the measures included in that agreement had been demanded by the troika as a condition “sine qua non” for the payment of huge assistance.
Last Thursday, several Member States of the euro zone in Luxembourg expressed their opposition to give more time to Greece for the country to meet its commitments adjustments and deficit reduction.
Thus, Finland, Austria and the Netherlands have been purported to reject a prolongation of the time: “I think it’s a good idea,” said the minister asked about Finnish Finance, Jutta Urpilainen, on arrival at a meeting of the Eurogroup .
But his French counterpart, Pierre Moscovici, called for Europe to understand the Greek needs and give hope to its citizens.
Other countries such as Belgium and Germany have also expressed support for a possible revision of the deadlines.
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