Moscovici: We did not come to Greece for more austerity

EC Commissioner says he believed Tsipras would not hold early elections

“I believe that the second program review can be completed and the negotiations on debt relief start,” EU Commissioner Pierre Moscovici said Tuesday in an interview with SKAI TV.
T”he Commissioner stressed that the EC was not in Greece to impose further austerity on the country. He added, however, that “reforms must continue because reforms are necessary in order to change the structure of the economy and make it more competitive, attractive and credible”. He stressed that no more harsh measures were necessary and that he was against more austerity. “We have the memorandum until 2018 that works as a roadmap and we’d better stick to it,” he said.
Moscovici noted that the efforts of the Greeks have started to bear fruit and that growth can be achieved in 2016 and 2017. He added that even in austerity, reforms must continue so that the economy becomes competitive.
Moreover, he said that Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras was committed to his goals and did not seem tired. He also estimated that the prime minister was not considering early elections.