Thursday's EWG session witnessed in-depth discussions on the draft 2019 Greek budget and Athens' pressing request to avoid a pre-legislated social security reduction measure, set for implementation in January 2019.
According to sources from the finance ministry in Athens, "major steps" towards a convergence of opinions on the pension cuts issue were made. Nevertheless, the same sources admitted that outstanding issues still hover over the draft budget submitted in Greece's Parliament and the EU Commission this month. The looming austerity measure entailed in a further round of pension cuts is among those unresolved issues, the Greek side said.
Decisions are expected next month or in early December, with the Commission to unveil its report on the budget in November, whereas the final Eurogroup meeting of the year is set for the first week of December.
The poll-trailing and now shaky Tsipras coalition government wants to desperately avoid again cutting a portion of Greek pensioners' monthly benefits, given that 2019 is an election year.
