The President of European Parliament Martin Schulz commented that Europe does not yet have the solutions, but that the Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is seeking them out.
In the press statements that followed the Wednesday morning meeting, Mr. Schulz expressed is support for the Greek government, pointing out how Mr. Tsipras is striving for a solution that is not just for Greece, but Europe as a whole. Mr. Schulz also underlined the need for establishing a framework for “constructive discussion and solutions”.
On his behalf, Mr. Tsipras stated that he was confident and was willing to do his best in order to come to an agreement. The Greek Prime Minister further noted that while the European Union’s history is one of disagreements, cooperation ultimately prevails.
The Greek PM noted that was “very optimistic, that we are in a good way to try to find a common viable and mutually acceptable solution for our common future” and added that “we respect the mandate of the Greek people and the EU regulations, we want to correct this framework, not smash it”.
Critical meeting with Juncker
The Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras traveled to Brussels on Wednesday morning to meet the chief of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker.This is perhaps the most critical meeting that Mr. Tsipras has attended so far.
The Greek PM will head to the EU Council to meet with the President of the European Council Donald Tusk. After his meetings in Brussels, Mr. Tsipras will travel to Paris in the afternoon, where he will see French President Francois Hollande at 15:30.
Over the weekend Mr. Juncker commented that the recent electoral result is no cause for overturning prior agreements, suggesting that the climate of today’s meeting may not be the friendliest for the Greek PM.
Aside from the financial and political concerns regarding the Greek debt, the two will also discuss the possibility of Commissioner Avramopoulos resigning in order to run for President in Greece. European sources note that Mr. Juncker disagrees with such a possibility, as it would cause further changes in the Commission.
