Greece’s bailout lenders have joined forces to push Athens to agree a new rescue plan by the end of this week that will demand a series of difficult economic reforms in return for access to €7.2bn in desperately-needed aid.
The new proposals, hammered out by the country’s three bailout monitors after weeks of internal disputes over how tough to get with Athens, will be presented to Greece today. Officials hope they will be agreed before Friday, when Athens must make a €300m loan repayment to the International Monetary Fund.
But senior eurozone officials remain concerned that many of the elements of the proposals could lead Athens to reject the plan. It could require Greece to achieve primary budget surpluses — revenues less expenses when debt interest payments are not included — of as much as 3.5 per cent of gross domestic product in the medium term. Athens has demanded a much lower level.