GREECE:THE GREEK and European juries were still out last night as to whether a letter sent by Greek conservative leader Antonis Samaras to the country's lenders will satisfy them that he fully supports the terms and implementation of Greece's second bailout deal.
For weeks, Mr Samaras has been under intense European and domestic pressure to give a written commitment to the new bailout deal, agreed in principle by euro zone leaders in Brussels on October 27th.
European leaders had made it known that the disbursement of an €8 billion aid payment to Greece was dependent on the leaders of parties participating in the new interim coalition government providing written support.
Most of the focus has been on Mr Samaras due to his strong opposition to the first bailout memorandum and due to the fact that his party is leading in the polls.
Without the money, the government has said it will be unable to pay pensions and civil service salaries from the middle of next month.
In the letter, addressed to the European Commission, the European Central Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the Eurogroup, Mr Samaras said his New Democracy party “is committed to support the new prime minister” and “is strongly committed to the success of fiscal consolidation and structural reforms, rebuilding market confidence and fostering economic growth”.
However, the text also said that “certain policies have to be modified” in order to guarantee the programme’s success.
The content of the letter was almost identical to one sent on November 13th to the leader of the European People’s Party (EPP), to which New Democracy belongs, but which was only published yesterday.
Earlier this month, Mr Samaras had described the demands that he provide written undertakings as an affront to “national dignity” and that his “word” in support for the new government was a sufficient guarantee for his stance.
But in the letters to the EPP and the country’s creditors, he eschewed any reference to these positions.
Yesterday’s letter was sent hours after German chancellor Angela stressed in no uncertain terms that the release of the €8 billion tranche was dependent on the New Democracy leader providing his “signature”.
“We need not only the signature of the Greek premier but also those of the parties that have agreed to support the government. Otherwise there can be no payout of the sixth tranche,” Ms Merkel told the Bundestag, adding that it was “regrettable” that a fellow conservative was refusing to sign.
However, Ms Merkel did not specify the terms of the document that she expected the Greek leaders to sign.
In comments reported widely in the Greek media last night, a finance ministry official in Berlin is reported to have given a positive response to Mr Samaras’ letter.
“We are happy that the opposition leader has given his support,” the unnamed official told a delegation of visiting Greek journalists.”