Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said “difficult decisions and harsh dilemmas” were faced during marathon negotiations at the European summit on Sunday. The following gains were made, he said, in defence of the deal whose terms, some say, are harsher than the ones turned down that Greek voters rejected in a referendum on July 5.
No sooner did he take the floor to speak of the agreement – known as “Greekment” in the growing Greek crisis lexicon – that he went on the defense, stating Greece:
– avoided having 50bn euros worth of Greek assets held in a fund abroad (Luxembourg)
– averted collapse of Greek banks
– succeeded in starting discussion for a restructuring of debt
– Greece to receive funding over the coming months
In what was an understatement, Tsipras said implementation would be tough. Greece will work hard to regain its “lost sovereignty” and he thanked his Greek partners, who fought a tough battle.
Those who are suffering from tough austerity will no longer be the ones carrying heaviest burden. He pointed to a shift in the burden for those who managed to pass through the crisis unhindered. He said Greece needs radical reforms against the economic oligarchy that brought the country to the position it is in now.
Tsipras referring to two ‘wins’ that weren’t on table before the referendum, specifically references in debt relief and mid-term funding.
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