Greece: Athens-EU open confrontation. Tsipras, IMF criminal – ANSA.it

BRUSSELS – between Greece and its creditors is open warfare: Tsipras accused the International Monetary Fund to have responsibility “criminals” for the situation in his country, and in turn Tsipras Juncker accused of lying on the progress of negotiated. And as we approach the showdown between the Eurogroup ministers on Thursday, the ECB warns that will leave open the tap of emergency loans ‘Ela’ – keeping Greece afloat – until they will default. To avoid this and groped all out, right after the Eurogroup could be convened a summit of Heads of State and Government extraordinary.

The increasingly serious situation, with negotiations still and exchanging accusations between institutions, it costs a third slip to the Athens Stock Exchange, while the European closed just above freezing and the spread Italian touches 160 basis points before falling back to close at 153. And in banks continues bleeding deposits. In June they were withdrawn 2 billion euro. The impasse in negotiations has now turned into a duel to the distance between the ‘big’ involved, which has drastically reduced the hopes of finding an agreement in the Eurogroup Luxembourg, where there will also be the director of the IMF Christine Lagarde and the European Central Bank President Mario Draghi. To launch the first attack was the greek prime minister, speaking to Parliament: “The IMF has a criminal responsibility for the situation in Greece.” According Tsipras, creditors are asking Athens to accept a solution that not only does not solve the problem, “but the economy back into recession.”

The IMF does not move from the demands of austerity – has He explained to MEPs – and the EU is not willing to talk about the debt. A situation that could lead Athens to not pay the 1.6 billion euro to the IMF at the end of the month, decreeing almost certainly default. If the greek “the real negotiation begins now”, for Europe however is ending, and also very bad: “I blame the government in Athens because it tells the public that things have not been proposed by the Commission”, he attacked the president today Juncker at a press conference, listing the ‘lies’ on the negotiations Tsipras told by the Greeks. For example, the VAT increase: “I have never been in favor of the increase of VAT on medicines and electricity, and that the Prime Minister knows, I proposed in exchange for defense cuts, easier to implement,” he explained Luxembourg. “I believe that the debate would be easier if the government say it like it is,” he cut short, stating that “the negotiations are at a standstill because they were not going anywhere.”

Although the EU is said “always open to examine new proposals”, Athens has no intention to submit any documents. Also because, as explained by the Minister of Finance greek Yanis Varoufakis, there is room for further concessions to creditors: “Greece will bind to the measures proposed only if Europe will agree to a debt restructuring, investment and eventually the liquidity crisis, “said the Spiegel online. But Europe does not intend to give in to ‘blackmail’ the Greek, and also remains firm on his positions. Meanwhile, prepare for the worst, even though Chancellor Merkel repeated to be concentrated “with all our strength” to find a solution to enable Greece to remain in the euro. If the Eurogroup, as is likely, not be able to break the deadlock – Varoufakis has already said it is not the place to discuss new proposals – the heads of state and government could meet as early as the weekend for the last act.