“This is not a new memorandum, the troika is not coming back” Moscovici assures Parliament




Greece will be subject to the surveillance that applies to all eurozone countries, and the budget plan will be governed by the rules applicable to each country, EU Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs Pierre Moscovici stressed in the Greek Parliament on Tuesday.

Moscovici was addressing the joint meeting of the parliamentary committees on “A new chapter for Greece”.

Regarding the post-memorandum surveillance, he said that it facilitates Greece’s return to the markets. Moscovici stressed that this is not a fourth memorandum, adding that the troika will not return.

After eight difficult years Greece is back to normality, autonomy and the markets, he said.

During the parliamentary debate following the Eurogroup’s agreement on June 21, Moscovici said that these eight years were incredibly difficult for the Greek people, adding that the decisions that had to be taken by the Greek Parliament were not easy ones, let alone that no other country needed to take such measures.

“I have always opposed the excesses of austerity and those who wanted a punitive action against Greece,” the European Commissioner said and stressed that he fought for the social measures of the third adjustment programme for Greece.

“Greece has always declared its commitment to the euro area and I want to pay tribute to the courage of the Greek people and the parliament which held up the difficult and necessary initiatives,” he noted, adding that the end of the program is a victory for Greece and the eurozone.

He also stressed that Greece firmly stands on its own feet as of June 21, adding that the European Commission will again stand by Greece.

“As of June 21, Greece is back on its feet and is making new steps as an integral part of the EU, and the EU will always be by your side, as we have been so far,” Moscovici said and added:

“I believe that the time has come for Greece to demonstrate how fast it can achieve solid and strong growth, and social justice and I want to confirm once again that the European Commission will be at your side to help you as a partner and a friend in a eurozone that needs to be strengthened and united even further.”

Moscovici congratulated Greece on meeting the deadlines and timetables, and on having implemented the latest necessary reforms. “The long-term strategy you presented was absolutely convincing both for the EU institutions and for the member states and therefore the creditors had to take the ultimate responsibility,” Moscovici said.

Referring to the debt agreement, he said that this agreement was in line with the ambitions and the needs, it offers Greece a necessary margin of maneuver to continue to cope, to be able to cope with the economic difficulties and challenges to fight unemployment and inequalities, and to reassure investors and facilitate the return of Greece to markets with good conditions, ie low interest rates.

FinMin Tsakalotos: The Commission should continue to have supranational role

Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos on Tuesday thanked European Commissioner for Financial Affairs Pierre Moscovici and his team and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker for their role, at a meeting of all parliamentary committees attended by the commissioner and his team in Athens.
“Despite the fact that many times we had huge disagreements but also convergenced in opinion, I always felt that Pierre and his team represented the supranational (viewpoint),” he said.
Clarifying, Tsakalotos said, “It was not their policy necessarily to support Greece, but their policy was based on what is good for Europe. And since we often hear people express support for Europe, here and abroad, but actually see very few pro-Europeans, I consider it very important that the European Commission continues to express this supranational role, which benefits European peoples, and we thank you very much.”

Source: AMNA

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