Govt retreats from Friday’s warnings of ‘rifts’, stop payments

… and the clincher: “We intentionally created ambiguity with our partners over our intentions because they need to know that we’re ready for a rift…”

Greek government officials quickly “revised” early statements – included in a midday briefing paper, no less – whereby Athens would not continue servicing its debt if lenders didn’t free up loan tranches dating to 2014.

In later statements, the unnamed sources said the fact that the “Maximos Mansion (government headquarters) announced a stop on (debt) payments can only be based on a science fiction scenario.”

In framing the response to the earlier statements, the same sources merely said that a “recording of the course of negotiations” was attempted.

The more-or-less “official” and written “threat” by PM Alexis Tsipras’ closest aides generated a firestorm of reaction both inside and outside the country. The ill-time statement also followed a widely-reported quip by flamboyant Greek FinMin Yanis Varoufakis on Wednesday, who told a crowd in Hania, Crete that he hopes they are with them (government) “when a rift” occurs.

Varoufakis’ alternate, Euclides Tsakalotos, moreover, tried to keep pace with the senior minister, telling a television audience on Friday that, indeed, the leftist government was ready for a rift with creditors, and, that “creative ambiguity” was intentional.

Here’s his statement:

“We intentionally created ambiguity with our partners over our intentions because they need to know that we’re ready for a rift, otherwise you don’t negotiate.”

That was in the morning, a few hours later, Tsakalotos promptly announced that the government was “closer than ever to a mutually beneficial solution with its partners.”