An unnamed government official referred to "limited" chances of an agreement at Monday's Eurogroup meeting to conclude the second review of the Greek program, charging that the leftist Greek government is on the "receiving end" of pressure to accept a primary budget surplus target of 3.5 percent in 2019 and 2020.
An unnamed government official referred to "limited" chances of an agreement at Monday's Eurogroup meeting to conclude the second review of the Greek program, charging that the leftist Greek government is on the "receiving end" of pressure to accept a primary budget surplus target of 3.5 percent in 2019 and 2020.
The years cited are after the current program ends in mid 2018.
The IMF (and Athens) have demanded a reduction in the specific fiscal target, while European creditors want a high primary budget surplus in order to slice off bigger amounts of debt.
In a statement circulated by the government, the official said Athens will not take austerity measures for 2019 and 2020 ... There is no government in Greece that could now pass through Parliament additional fiscal measures, which reach even 4.2 billion euros".
A comprehensive agreement, as indirectly outlined by Athens, means a simultaneous conclusion of the second review's "prior actions", including labor sector liberalization and even set goals for fiscal targets in 2019 and 2020.
The Tsipras government is also blaming the IMF - via unnamed "leaks" -- that the second review would have been completed three or four weeks ago if not for the Fund's demands, primarily over reforms in the labor sector.