The Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and German Chancellor Angela Merkel had a telephone discussion late on Thursday afternoon, which lasted about 50 minutes, including translations. The discussion was reportedly in a positive climate and aims towards a mutually beneficial solution for Greece and the Eurozone.
Mr. Tsipras also spoke with the French President Francois Hollande, who assured the Greek Premier that he would do everything in his power to help Greece. Mr. Hollande also said that he would be discussing the matter with Mrs. Merkel in their upcoming meeting.
The telephone call with the German Chancellor came after the German Finance Ministry rejected the Greek proposal for a six-month extension of the agreement, on account that it does not comply with the criteria that were agreed upon at Monday’s Eurogroup. The German Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel took a different stance and argued that the Greek request was a positive first step and that it was “too early” to say “yes” or “no”.
Brussels also seems to be differentiating itself from Berlin. The European Commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas commented that the EC President Jean-Claude Juncker has deemed the Greek government’s request as a positive step towards a reasonable compromise.
