Greece will not compromise with euro zone, Tsipras says
First entry: 17 February 2015 - 19:20 Athens, 17:20 GMT
Last update: 19:20 Athens, 17:20 GMTPolitics
The Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said
on Tuesday his government would not succumb to blackmail from its
eurozone partners and was in no hurry to reach a new debt agreement.
He said Greece was working toward a pact but would not compromise.
His Syriza party intended to keep its promises to end the austerity imposed by the European Union and International Monetary Fund under Greece's bailout deals.
"There has been a custom that newly-elected governments act differently from their pre-election promises. I am saying it again, we are thinking of actually implementing our promises for a change," Tsipras said in a speech to his party's parliamentary group.
Tsipras took aim in his speech at German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble, who has been unbending in his opposition to Greek plans to ditch austerity.
He also said that a cartoon in a pro-Syriza newspaper depicting Schaeuble as a Nazi did not represent his government's views.
Far from seeking to ease tensions with his euro zone partners, Tsipras said the Greek parliament would immediately start working on legislation promised in his election campaign, some of which runs counter to the austerity rules imposed by the EU and IMF.
"For us it is a moral and humanitarian priority to repay the debt to the people who suffer, this is our primary debt," he said.
Reuters
He said Greece was working toward a pact but would not compromise.
His Syriza party intended to keep its promises to end the austerity imposed by the European Union and International Monetary Fund under Greece's bailout deals.
"There has been a custom that newly-elected governments act differently from their pre-election promises. I am saying it again, we are thinking of actually implementing our promises for a change," Tsipras said in a speech to his party's parliamentary group.
Tsipras took aim in his speech at German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble, who has been unbending in his opposition to Greek plans to ditch austerity.
He also said that a cartoon in a pro-Syriza newspaper depicting Schaeuble as a Nazi did not represent his government's views.
Far from seeking to ease tensions with his euro zone partners, Tsipras said the Greek parliament would immediately start working on legislation promised in his election campaign, some of which runs counter to the austerity rules imposed by the EU and IMF.
"For us it is a moral and humanitarian priority to repay the debt to the people who suffer, this is our primary debt," he said.
Reuters
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