Commission: Greece has ‘basically achieved’ required reforms

President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker at a press conference in Rome. | Tiziana Fabi/AFP via Getty Images

Commission: Greece has ‘basically achieved’ required reforms

Jean-Claude Junker spoke ahead of Monday’s meeting of eurozone finance ministers.

Greece has “basically achieved” the objectives of the reforms required by its creditors and its eurozone partners will begin discussing possible debt relief for the country, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said Sunday, according to an AFP report carried by the Guardian on Sunday.

Greece’s creditors carried out the review intended to evaluate progress on reforms by the government as it hopes to unlock the next tranche of its €86 billion bailout agreed in July.

“We are now at the time of the first review of the programme (to aid Greece) and the objectives have been basically achieved,” Juncker said.

Junker’s comments come a day after the International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde threatened that the Washington-based organization will pull out of rescue plans for Greece altogether if its foreign lenders don’t agree on the restructuring of the country’s  runaway debt.

The 19 eurozone finance ministers will meet in Brussels on Monday to discuss ways to put the indebted country back on its feet.

In Athens, the parliament is set to vote on Sunday on the unpopular pension and tax changes as more protests against the ever tightening austerity measures are taking place in the Greek capital. The government of Alexis Tsipras called the vote before the conclusion of the negotiations in order to placate creditors and increase his bargaining power at Monday’s meeting of eurozone finance ministers.

Greece is under pressure as it faces a huge payment to the European Central Bank in July. Like six years ago, when Greece revealed a deficit that was four times higher than previously thought, fears are growing that Athens could default if the bailout funds do not come through.

Authors:
Jeanette Minns