Eurogroup President Jeroen Dijsselbloem will participate in emergency talks between Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker on Wednesday evening in Brussels.
Tsipras will present Juncker with a 47-page plan of proposed reforms, while Juncker will present the Greek PM with a draft deal drawn by Greece’s international creditors.
Representatives of the EC, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund — the troika of Greece’s lenders — will also take part in the meeting
“We are not far from reaching a deal,” Dijsselbloem said in an interview with Italian RTL TV on Tuesday. The Eurogroup chief also said that some in Europe are extremely optimistic over the consequences of a Greek exit from the euro zone. Dijsselbloem, who is also the Netherlands’ Finance Minister, noted that there is not a specific proposal, but a package of proposed reforms on budget, public administration, pensions and the labor market.
Asked whether the European side intends to make a compromise in order to reach a deal, he talked of a “misunderstanding” and that both sides will have to meet halfway. The Eurogroup chief said that the budgetary package should be a “correct” one, as it was agreed with the previous government.
“Time is running out … Until now, Greece has been able to pay its debts, but this becomes increasingly difficult. I have also repeatedly said that it is the responsibility of the Greek government to meet its obligations on time. This is not our work. Meanwhile we are making progress, but slowly,” Dijsselbloem said.
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