European press roundup: Greece’s European tour and impact of Russian sanctions

The Euranet Plus News Agency press review of February 6, 2015, focuses mainly on the new Greek government leaders’ European tour to re-negotiate the country’s bailout terms with its EU partners

This week, our European press focuses mainly on the new Greek government leaders’ European tour to re-negotiate the country’s bailout terms with its EU partners, but also with the Brussels and the Troika consisting of European Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the European Commission. The Latvian newspaper Diena highlighted the effect of Russian sanctions on the economy of Latvia, but also Finland.

This week, the new Greek leaders met their EU partners in London, Italy, Germany, France and Brussels trying to get support from them and introducing their programme to reform the country’s 315 billion euros of public debt.

The new Greek finance minister, Yanis Varoufakis, explained while he was meeting the UK chancellor, George Osborne, in London on Monday that Greece would be ready to renounce a write-off of its debt in exchange for reimbursements based on growth.

But on Wednesday night, the European Central Bank (ECB) put pressure on the Greek government when it announced its intention to stop allowing Greek banks to use Greek bonds as a guarantee for loans.

Italy: Tsipras’s mission arrives in Rome visiting Renzi (Il Sole 24 ore)

The Italian newspaper Il Sole 24 earlier this week reported about the visit of new Greek prime minister, Alexis Tsipras, to different EU countries (January 3).

The journalist Attilio Geroni said that the mission of Tsipras in Nicosia, in Rome, Brussels, Paris, will say far more on the distance that separates Athens from its creditors  – and, above all, what the margins for compromise are on the Greek debt in the bail-out plan, which will expire at the end of the month.

He added that the meeting in Paris between the Greek Minister for Finance, Yanis Varoufakis, and his French colleague, Michel Sapin, provided a first glimpse of this diplomatic offensive which was concluded at least with comforting words: “We will help Athens to reach an agreement with the European partners and to stay in the euro,” Sapin said.

According to the author, France is the country which has pressed most for Europe to get out of austerity at all costs and which was the most in favour of a boost for growth with a mix of structural reforms and public investments.

• Read the entire article in Italian – recommended by Italian Euranet Plus partner station Radio 24 II Sole

The Greek newspaper Kathimerini focused on the Greek Minister for the Economy, Giorgos Stathakis, talking about the ongoing negotiations with the rest of the eurozone in order to find a commonly acceptable solution to the Greek debt issue

Greece –  Giorgios Stathakis: ‘We are not blackmailing the eurozone’ (Kathimerini)

“We are not blackmailing the eurozone. We are trying to find the most logical solution for both sides, a solution which will minimize the losses which European taxpayer will have,” said the Greek minister of finance, Gergios Stathakis, in an interview with the American news channel CNN.

He himself assessed that the Greek government will quickly come to an agreement with its partners in the European Union with everything regarding the structural reforms programme, making specific reference to tax reform as well as reforms in government administration.

“We do not want the nation to return to the state it was in prior to the crisis. Greece had many problems,” Stathakis stressed.

He also argued for Varoufakis’ proposal for bonds with a rhetoric of progress, stressing that progress is the first and foremost project of the new government.

• Read the entire article in Greek – recommended by the Greek Euranet Plus partner station Skaï Radio

Podemos, the Spanish anti-austerity party, demonstrated last Saturday in Madrid in a “March for Change”. Over one hundred thousand supporters of the left-leaning party came together. The Spanish newspaper El Pais reported about it.

Spain: Democracy at risk (El Pais)

According to philosopher Josep Ramoneda, Podemos and Syriza are giving the indignant a political voice: “These are not movements that call the system into question. We are not on the brink of a revolution. People are simply sick and tired of encapsulated parties and a democracy that is falling apart because of the promiscuity between politics and money.”

Ramoneda added that what makes Podemos unique is that it has dared to turn the indignation into a political option and say: “We are going to win!”

• Read the entire article in Spanish – recommended by the Spanish Euranet Plus partner station Castilla y Leon es Radio

Latvia – Impact of Russian sanctions: Joining hands with neighbours (Diena)

The Latvian newspaper Diena highlighted the negative impact of Russian sanctions – and the resulting economic downturn – on Finland and Latvia in the light of the Latvian EU presidency.

The journalist Aļona Zandere reported about the visit of the Latvian president Andris Bērziņš to Finland, which raised wide interest among entrepreneurs. Finnish entrepreneurs have started looking for alternative markets, also including business expansion opportunities in Latvia, explained the journalist.

Recent data shows that the amount of trade between Finland and Latvia is increasing and has reached almost 800 million euros.

Zandere reported that Finland needs to reorient its market, too, as the drop in the value of the Russian rouble has had a considerable impact on the national economy.

For instance, the number of tourists from Russia had decreased by 30 percent by the end of the last year.

The President of Finland, Sauli Niinistö, said during the visit that he would support enforcing sanctions on Russia if the EU decided to do so, according to Diena.

• Read the entire article in Latvian – recommended by Latvian Euranet Plus partner station Latvijas Radio

The Estonian Public Broadcasting ERR also reported about Russia, especially on the issue of propaganda in Eastern Europe.

Estonia: Russian, Belorussian opposition launching TV channel in Estonia (ERR)

The Russian and Belorussian opposition leaders are set to launch a Russian-language TV channel in Estonia, tasked with fighting against Kremlin propaganda in Eastern Europe, ERR reported.

The station is supposed to launch in September and will initially air three times a week and will be bankrolled by the Danish government’s MyMedia programme.

“Aru.tv is aimed at people in Russia and the Russian-speaking populations of the Baltic nations plus Ukraine and Belarus. The main goal of the people behind the project is to offer propaganda-free information,” said Pavel Morozov, one of the founders of the station.

• Read the entire article in English  – recommended by Estonian Euranet Plus partner Sky Media

Germany – US weapons deliveries to Kiev: Why weapons from US to Kiev would equal  declaration of war? (Süddeutsche Zeitung)

If the US will deliver weapons to Ukraine, this would be nothing else then a war declaration to Moscow, writes the German journalist Hubert Wetzel in an opinion piece in the German daily Süddeutsche Zeitung.

Compared to the rebels, who get modern weapons from Russia, the situation of the Ukrainian army is desperate. But exactly because of these Russian weapon deliveries, Moscow may be called a war party in Ukraine.

But Western politics should through strong economic pressure aim to dissuade Russia from warmongering – and not to do exactly the same as Moscow by boosting the fights with more weapons.

According to the journalist, there are other means to counter the Russian aggression.

• Read the whole article in German – recommended by German Euranet Plus partner AMS-NET

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• Author: Laeticia Markakis, Euranet Plus News Agency

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