European Parliament President Martin Schultz met with Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann in Vienna, where the former reiterated that, as a matter of respect, the new Greek government should be given a chance.
He also said the German FinMin’s quick reaction to the proposal was “surprising”. Schulz reiterated that Yanis Varoufakis’ proposal to the EU partners does not lack substance.
On his own part, the Austrian Chancellor said there should be understanding on the part of eurozone partners for Greece, and for the new Greek government to be given a chance to change specific points of the agreement.
He also warned that a failure to find a solution would mean that other European countries would lose money.
As the chancellor stated, Greeks have taken a step forward, and now the rest of Europe must meet it in order to walk down a road of finding a mutually agreeable solution.
He stated that Greece must approach Europe, and that agreements must be met, but it is mandatory that the special status of the Greek situation must be taken into account. He once more underlined that austerity alone cannot generate economic growth.
According to Feymann, the question is whether the EU, under Germany’s unofficial leadership, wants to have its own way just to prove it’s right, or whether it wants to build “bridges” of agreement and consensus. In any case, he stated, any changes to the austerity program must be studied.
