Conflicting messages from two European leaders prior to Tsipras meeting

Hollande and Merkel seem to be expecting different things

Hours before a highly-anticipated meeting in Brussels over the Greek matter, conflicting messages have been circulated by two of the main protagonists involved.

 

Angela Merkel and Francois Hollande appear to have made conflicting statements.

 

The German Chancellor, who will share the same negotiating table with the Greek PM, EC president Jean Claude Juncker and European Council president Donald Tusk, ECB president Mario Draghi and Eurogroup president Jeroen Dijsselbloem, as well as the French president, said she does not expect any type of political solution.

 

On the contrary, France’s Hollande said he asked for Greece to respect its commitments, but when he spoke in brief with Alexis Tsipras, he stated that there must be a solution tonight. The Greek PM made no comment to that, however.

 

Government sources are not very optimistic of a anything ground-breaking moment in the meeting, which will take place after the Summit.

 

They added that the Greek side will defend and explain the reforms pushed forth by the government.

 

Athens also wants the ECB to raise the ceiling for T-bill issuance (above 15 billion euros), reversal of a previous ECB ban over use of Greek government bonds as collateral, and 1.9 billion euros that the country is entitled to in ECB profits garnered from Greek securities.