The Ministry of Finances is rushing to complete necessary prior actions, in preparation for the upcoming return of troika representatives in Athens on the 4th of November. At present, the restructure plans of EAS, ELVO and LARKO, along with the suspension of 12,500 public sector employees, as well as the payment of debts towards EYDAP and EYATH remain wholly unresolved.
Measures tackling these open issues should have been agreed upon with the troika representatives by the end of September in order for the Euro Working Group to approve of the pay of a one-billion-euro loan installment to Greece in the first half of October. Due to the delays, the installment will not be paid out before December.
Rumors circulated earlier in the week by European Commission and Euro Working Group executive offices strongly suggested that so long as these prior actions are not addressed, the troika representatives will not return to Athens. According to the EU, the only prior action that has seen some development, but not resolved, is the reform of lawyer code.
The EU also appears determined on shutting down defense industries EAS and ELVO, while the government is insisting that EAS be split into civil and military operations, with the military company remaining under state control. This appears to be the biggest conflict in negotiations.
