End of enhanced surveillance: party mood in Athens?
Eurozone finance ministers on Thursday approved a recommendation by the EU Commission to end the enhanced economic surveillance of Greece, noting that the country had successfully fulfilled most of its obligations. This closes a chapter that began in 2010 in the wake of the financial and economic crisis. The national press nonetheless sees little reason to celebrate.
It's not over yet
Efimerida ton Syntakton warns against too much euphoria:
“The government's celebratory tones about the exit from enhanced surveillance do not mask the Europeans' whip for Greece's fulfilment of outstanding conditions to receive the 750 million of the last tranche from bond profits in November. Greece is still dogged by 22 unimplemented reforms. At the top of the list are outstanding pensions, overdue public sector debt, conditions in the health and justice sectors, but also the further reduction of bad loans haunting Greek banks.”
The financial markets will keep things under control
Web portal Liberal sees it as a good thing that the markets will once again be in control:
“From now on there will be no more pressure over the next tranche not being paid out if certain agreements are not fulfilled. But that doesn't mean that there will be no supervision. There is, and it will be even stricter because it is exercised by those who know nothing about political negotiations: the markets. If the markets get the message that the government may decide that it needs to increase its deficits for public spending, they will send the message via bond yields. And in the current phase this is the last thing the country needs, given the recent turnaround aimed at boosting investment levels.”