With a 2 and half hour delay, Greek PM Alexis Tsipras addressed the government cabinet on the running matters of the state. A visibly tired Tsipras was unapologetic about the offshore scandal, while he outlined the government’s ‘success story’ on legislating the omnibus bill and the expenditure ‘cutter’, which were forced on the Greek government by its lenders.

In an effort to turn the negative publicity tide against his government, Tsipras avoided any mention of the harsh measures he was forced to accept as a result of the Eurogroup 24 meeting, while making selective reference to the debt relief promise Greece would receive after 2018. He made no allusion to tax evasion, the burden on pensioners and the rise in VAT, while he spoke in a vague way of the Greek economy passing into an ‘era of just growth’.

Tsipras dubbed the negotiations a success, claiming the government was refraining from promoting its due to its ‘humility’! On the matter of the offshore scandal that forced the government to backtrack and withdraw the controversial amendment, Tsipras blamed the media for collectively latching onto the revelations by Proto Thema and going into a ‘frenzy’. Addressing his ministers Tsipras called on them to ‘lift their sleeves up’ and shut their ears to attacks below the belt. ‘We are not concerned with mud-slinging, nor populism’, he said.