Radical Left Coalition (SYRIZA) Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis said that the Greek government is seeking a “social contract” during a joint press conference with his socialist French counterpart Michel Sapin. Following the two-hour meeting, Varoufakis likened Greece to a “drug addict” expecting its fix for fiveyears and said that the last installment is not a priority.
The Greek government is calling for “breathing space” until the end of February so as to finalize its proposals and reforms that deal with the humanitarian crisis and the debt problem. Greece plans to contact Greece’s credit officials and create a “social contract”. Varoufakis said that Greece wants to pay the money it owes but wants new terms.
Sapin expressed satisfaction for the meeting. He insisted that his country wouldn’t support debt cancellation but offered support for a new time frame or terms. He said:
* Greece is in and will remain in the eurozone
* there is a joint aim for growth, especially for Greece following the loss of 25% of its GDP and that this development is to come through investment
* an effective and just taxation system needs to be created for Greece
Sapin said that there will be a collaboration between the Greek government and French specialists available for consultation.”France is more than prepared to support Greece,” he said, adding that Greece’s efforts to renegotiate were “legitimate” and urging for a new contract between Greece and France.
Regarding Varoufakis’ calls for a different stand for member states of the “European south” that have been hard-hit by the crisis, Sapin said that it would be difficult to separate which country is to the “north or south of the Eurozone.” He underlined that the French-German access is important, sending a clear message that Berlin would need to be in agreement for a plan for Greece.
SYRIZA Government Spokesman Gavriil Sakellarides said that the meeting sent a message of agreement that a negotiation of Greece’s loan agreement would need to a mutually beneficial solution for Greece and the EU.
Varoufakis is in London on Monday and will head to Rome on Tuesday for talks with his British and Italian counterparts. He expressed the desire to travel to Berlin as well but sources state that the German Finance Ministry has yet to receive an official request for a meeting.
