Greek Far Left: We want better terms, like the Spanish

Page last updated at 05:02 GMT, Monday, June 11, 2012 - 10:02 EST

CNBC:

The leader of the radical left Syriza coalition, Alexis Tsipras, criticized the way the crisis has been handled.

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Alexis Tsipras, leader of Greece’s leftwing Syriza coalition, seized on news of the Spanish bailout to bolster his position ahead of next week’s crucial general election, which may determine whether the country stays in the euro.

“The developments in Spain confirm the position we adopted from the start – that the crisis is a pan-European problem, and the way it has been handled so far has been socially catastrophic and completely ineffectual,” Mr Tsipras, who opposes the bailouts, told a newspaper.

Antonis Samaras, the pro-bailout conservative leader, said the Spanish bailout terms showed “the benefits of taking the road of responsibility”.

Greek political leaders have pledged to renegotiate part or all of the current bailout deal, shrugging off warnings from Brussels and Berlin that they must abide by its terms or leave the eurozone. Mr Samaras hopes to avert further cuts in wages and pensions.

But a senior Greek economist said the Spanish bank rescue had highlighted Greece’s own weak position. “If you behave like Spain and do the reforms, then you get support,” he said. “Our problem is that we are behind with reforms, so we don’t have leverage.”

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