FRA GUARDIAN
Alexis Tsipras: I believe an initial deal is close
There’s a sense of optimism this morning after Greece’s prime minister declared an initial deal with the country’s creditors could be reached by the end of next week.
In a late-night interview with Star TV, Alexis Tsipras said that:
“Our goal… is to reach a first agreement this week if possible, or next week at the latest….I believe we are close.”
But…Tsipras did also caution that issues including pension cuts, mass layoffs and VAT increases are all still ‘on the table’, suggesting Greece hasn’t yet compromised.
And while Tsipras said an early election was off the table, he could be forced to call a referendum:
“If I end up having an agreement that puts me outside the limits (of my mandate), I will have no other resort….The people will decide obviously without elections, I want to make that clear.”
In a wide-ranging interview, Tsipras admits that uncertainty this year did mean Greece faces the “danger of recession”
Tsipras also blamed the previous government for creating Greece’s current predicament, and said Europe must share the blame if a deal isn’t reached on time.
He also defended his embattled finance minister, saying Yanis Varoufakis remained a key ‘asset’ for Greece, despite his ructions with fellow finance chiefs.
