The European Commissioner of Economic and Monetary Affairs Pierre Moscovici clarified in his press conference that Greece’s position in the Eurozone is not disputed anymore. Mr. Moscovici made the clarification after previous comments appeared to suggest that a Grexit was still possible.
Furthermore, Mr. Moscovici added that the European Commission is committed to supporting Greece in implementing the necessary reforms in order to overcome the crisis. The Commissioner stressed that the current troika review must end as soon as possible and noted that since the Greek efforts are starting to pay off, it is time to move on to the next phase.
Provided that everything goes as planned, Mr. Moscovici estimated that the troika would leave Greece at the end of February. He later commented that “we respect the democratic choices of each people”, explaining that while the Commission will talk all governments, it has its “preferences”, which are to maintain the integrity of the Eurozone and reforms.
When asked why he did not meet with main opposition leader Alexis Tsipras, the Commissioner stated that he is prepared to meet him in Brussels. Regarding the public debt, he asserted that it is not logical for one to say that they cannot pay off a large debt, stressing that it constitutes bankruptcy.
The European Commission refused to comment on Greek political developments, claiming that it is not his job to deal with such matters. Mr. Moscovici however added that the markets do not like political uncertainty, but noted that they are simply a parameter in the economy.
