Leave Greece in the eurozone Merkel and Tusk persuaded Tsipras – RBC

President of the European Council, Donald Tusk

Photo: AP

Greece was closest to the door of the European Union at about 6 am Brussels time (7:00 MSK), when talks between Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and German Chancellor Angela Merkel at an impasse, and they saw no reason they continue. According to the Financial Times, went to the door of politicians to stop the head of the European Council, Donald Tusk, who told them: “I’m sorry, but you will in any case can not leave».

head of the German and Greek government office Tusk invited French President Francois Hollande, who tried to force them to find a compromise on the privatization fund. Merkel wanted to privatization proceeds in the amount of € 50 billion were used to pay the debt of Greece. Tsipras regarded transfer under the control of a foreign-thirds of the Greek economy as a national humiliation, and proposed the creation of a smaller fund, whose assets were reinvested in Greece.

In a compromise Merkel and Tsipras took more than an hour, during which time they moved a dozen different options, writes FT. A senior source of the newspaper among the participants of the summit of the eurozone told the newspaper about the outcome of the negotiations, “Tsipras there just crucified».

At a meeting of eurozone finance ministers on Saturday, July 11, according to the publication, the majority of the participants came to the conclusion that failure of Greece from the European currency will be the lesser evil. Negotiations have been so strained that the head of the French Ministry of Finance Michel Sapen offered “all to come out and tell each other the truth.” Finnish Finance Minister Alexander Stubb, writes FT, citing two participants, lashed out at his Greek counterpart Euclid Tsakalotosa with accusations that his country for half a century can not carry out reforms.

The publication notes that the negotiations have demonstrated tension between France and Germany, which are considered to support a united Europe. “Germany had a very strong pressure on Greece. I opposed this decision, “- said Hollande told reporters after reaching an agreement on Greek debt.

The French president, in particular, supported Tsipras on the privatization fund and opposed the humiliation of Greece. He also insisted that the final document was from the retracted position of the temporary exclusion of Greece from the eurozone, which was introduced on the initiative of the German Ministry of Finance Wolfgang Schauble.

The summit of the eurozone Greece made considerable concessions to creditors in exchange for three-year program of assistance worth € 82-86 billion. The Greek parliament has until Wednesday, July 15, to adopt laws on pension reform and tax increases to the Eurogroup has started a detailed examination of the program that still have to approve the legislative assemblies of the euro area.

The government in Greece since January 2015 is a radical left coalition Syriza, which won the elections under the slogans of the abolition of austerity, which the country has been forced to introduce under pressure from international lenders. The second program of aid to Greece ended June 30, and July 5 initiative Tsipras was conducted nationwide referendum in which the majority of citizens were against the adoption of the new conditions of the lenders. As a result, Tsipras at the weekend was forced to agree to more stringent conditions for granting new loans.