Hollande says ‘everything’ must be done for Greek deal

French President Francois Hollande insisted on Friday that “everything” must be done to seal a compromise on the Greek debt crisis before a Monday emergency eurozone meeting.

We must “do everything to relaunch negotiations, so the talks can achieve a compromise, but one in line with European rules,” said the French president following talks in Bratislava with his Slovak counterpart before speaking with German Chancellor Angela Merkel later in the day.

Hollande said Monday’s emergency eurozone summit would be “crucial.” “I don’t want us to meet only to come to the conclusion that we have failed,” he said.

EU President Donald Tusk called a summit of the leaders of the 19 eurozone countries on Monday in Brussels after finance ministers on Thursday failed to break the five-month-old deadlock between the anti-austerity government in Athens and its EU-IMF creditors.

Greece has until the end of June to agree a reform deal in order to secure the remaining portion of its multi-billion-euro bailout, which it needs to avoid defaulting on a 1.6-billion-euro IMF debt payment.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said Friday Bratislava was “prepared” for a Grexit, echoing its long held hardline on the Greek debt crisis.

“We want Greece to stay in the eurozone, but not at all costs,” he said following talks with visiting British Prime Minister David Cameron.

“Slovakia is prepared both mentally and technically for the eventuality of Greece exiting the eurozone. We will thoroughly insist on Greece doing its homework.”

[AFP]