Weber hints at lower surpluses in post-SYRIZA era

In a nod to New Democracy chief Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the leader of the European People’s Party (EPP) said on Thursday that Greece could be granted smaller primary surplus targets if he is elected president of the European Commission in May on the condition that the country has a growth-friendly government. Speaking at a joint press conference with Mitsotakis in Athens, Manfred Weber also slammed Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras for "blocking initiatives on a European level" that would support those "fighting for a democratic Venezuela." [John Kolesidis/ANA-MPA]