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EP political group leader criticizes German FinMin "irresponsible" on Greece issue

Xinhua, July 13, 2015 Adjust font size:

The president of the second largest political group in the European Parliament (EP) criticized German finance minister Wolfgang Schauble "irresponsible" on Greece debt issue Sunday afternoon, according to the group's official website.

The leaders of 19 eurozone member countries are seeking to reach a bailout deal to avert Greek bankruptcy and exit from the European common currency zone, as resumed finance ministers' meeting ended without an agreement on the same day.

Gianni Pittella, President of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of the Socialists & Democrats (the S&D Group) in the EP, said "German finance minister, Wolfgang Schauble, is irresponsible," referring to "a temporary Greek exit plan" alleged being drafted by Germany.

"His tricks and political games risk to lead Greece to bankruptcy and to Grexit," Pittella said.

It is being rumored in Brussels that Germany was pushing a Plan B: a five-year temporary exit of Greece from the eurozone.

The political group leader accused that Schauble's actions put the European Union's future in danger.

"Such a short-sighted view could seriously undermine the pillars on which the European Union is based. Mr. Schauble and his supporters would bear this historical responsibility in front of all the European people," Pittella added.

"EU's stability is at stake here, not only the permanence of Greece in the euro zone," he said, calling the leaders of the eurozone to strike for an agreement.

"The conditions for a positive agreement with Greece are on the table. It is time for political leaders to take over the negotiations," he added.

According to a Eurogroup document leaked to the media, some eurozone finance ministers were demanding more tough austerity conditions than those rejected by Greek referendum, and "temporary Grexit option" was also tabled.

"In case no agreement could be reached, Greece should be offered swift negotiations on a time-out from the euro area, with possible debt restructuring," the document said.

"Socialists and Democrats will oppose every destructive option which concerns Grexit and we will denounce in front of the public opinion anybody who attempts to undermine the EU's future," Pittella said.

The S&D Group is the leading center-left political group in the EP and the second largest, with 191 members from all 28 EU countries.

Without a debt deal in the coming hours, Greece faces financial collapse and Grexit. Greek banks have been closed for the past two weeks and are running out of cash while the country's economy is suffering from capital controls.

Besides, Greece has been in arrears to the International Monetary Fund since July 1 and faces a 3.5-billion-euro debt repayment to the European Central Bank on July 20. (1 euro = 1.12 U.S. dollars) Endit