Government Spokesman Gavriil Sakellaridis told private ANT1 TV on Friday that Greece is “optimistic” that there will be an agreement at the Eurogroup meeting on Friday but cannot be entirely sure. “We are having in dialogue and are struggling hard so as to achieve a mutually beneficial solution while respecting the popular mandate,” he said in reference to the Eurogroup’s meeting.

He said that the phone contact between Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and German Chancellor Angela Merkel took place in a positive climate given the surrounding situation and Germany’s tough stance to Greece’s request for a six-month extension.

In response to criticism that the government has changed it stance, the government spokesman said that if the government had made a U-turn, it would have signed the agreement ten days ago. “We have not withdrawn our red lines,” he said while giving reasons as to why the Finance ministry’s draft laws on overdue debts settlement and first home protection have not been tabled in Parliament yet. “The main reason they were not tabled in Parliament was that the competent committees have not yet been formed in order to approve them,” he said.

As for the Greek government’s request to the European partners, he made it clear that neither an extension of the program nor a review has been asked. “A group of technocrats cannot continue to impose policies,” he said.