Major Reversal: ECB May Help Ease Greek Debt

Papademos and Draghi
Lucas Papademos, Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic, and Mario Draghi, President of the ECB

 BERLIN, Germany — With Greece on the cusp of a deal to secure a bailout, the European Central Bank is reportedly prepared to play a crucial role in reducing the country’s crippling debt burden. The ECB's move is a significant reversal, given that officials had rejected any such assistance in the past.

The news comes as the coalition parties in Athens finally prepare to discuss the draft plan for tough reforms, following days of delays.

The three parties were handed the 50-page text on Wednesday morning after Prime Minister Lucas Papademos and officials from the troika of international lenders, the ECB, the European Union and the International Monetary Fund, agreed on the final details late Tuesday night.

Papademos, the technocrat ushered in to help rescue Greece’s economy, needs to get the green light from the party leaders for the reform package before he can access the new 130 billion euro ($172 billion) rescue package to avoid bankruptcy.

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Emergency Meeting Called In Greece, Bailout May Be In Trouble

Lucas Papademos

Negotiations between Greece and its creditors about the terms of an orderly Greek restructuring appear to have stalled in Athens, amid troika adamance that the country accept even more dramatic austerity measures in return for the aid they are expected to receive as part of a second bailout, according to the Telegraph.

Prime Minister Lucas Papademos has called an emergency meeting of party officials in an attempt to convince them to vote through the spending reforms and bring the debt swap deal to resolution.


Meanwhile, International Business Times reports that dissatisfaction with the Greek government rose to 91% in a poll two weeks ago, although the majority of respondents still supported Papademos.

A government explained to the Telegraph that it has been difficult to reach any kind of agreement with the inflexible troika. "The troika doesn't appear to be willing to accept any concessions whatsoever on reducing the minimum wage and scrapping bonuses," the aide said. "No political party is willing to move either, saying wage cuts are a red line they are simply not going to cross. You tell me how this is going to be resolved. We have no idea and we're very worried."

This impasse follows positive reports that Greece and its creditors would likely reach a deal this week, as well as the fallout of a now relinquished German proposal for Greece to give up budget control in exchange for the next bailout.

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