Greek authorities are on track to complete a second set of six prior actions demanded by the troika in exchange for another 1 billion euros in rescue loans, government officials told Kathimerini in Brussels where Prime Minister Antonis Samaras had talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on the sidelines of a European Union summit.
The measures are to be completed by early August and are unlikely to pose a problem, the officials said, noting that the toughest challenge – approving a plan to sell off a third of the Public Power Corporation to a private investor – had been achieved. The reforms include a coastal development bill and reductions to auxiliary pensions.
According to sources, Samaras Thursday reassured Merkel of his administration’s determination to enforce reforms pledged to the troika but he is also said to have broached the issue of a possible lightening of austerity for Greeks in the near future, conveying his government’s intention to offer tax breaks.
Samaras is to meet in Florence Friday with his Italian counterpart Matteo Renzi, whose country assumed the EU’s rotating presidency from Greece this month and who is favor of relaxing the provisions of the Stability and Growth Pact. The two men are expected to discuss issues of mutual concern such as maritime and immigration policies.
Source: Kathimerini