News Headline Summary

Der Spiegel writes that there have been suggestions that the terms of the EU bailout could be relaxed, and now a senior member of German Chancellor Merkel's conservatives has insisted the deal stands

With the prospect of a pro-bailout government being formed in Greece following New Democracy's victory in Sunday's election, some European politicians have suggested that the strict conditions for Athens' deal with the European Union and International Monetary Fund could now be relaxed a little. Reacting to the election result, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, a member of the business-friendly Free Democratic Party, said that although there could not be "substantial changes" to the agreement with the EU and IMF, he could "well imagine talking again about timelines."

But politicians from Angela Merkel's conservatives have resisted the suggestion that Athens should be given more time. Now a key Merkel ally has rejected relaxing the terms of Greece's bailout deal and called on Athens to increase the pace of reforms.

Full article: http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/merkel-ally-rejects-bailout-concessions-for-greece-a-839961-druck.html

Print 12:26, 20 Jun 2012 - Economic commentary - Source: Der Spiegel