Greece on ‘final stretch’ of concluding bailout review, spokesman says

The deal reached at the recent Eurogroup meeting in Brussels has brought Greece very close to the completion of the bailout review, government spokesman Dimitris Tzanakopoulos said Wednesday while dismissing speculation of a crisis within the SYRIZA-led administration.

“Following the April 7 Eurogroup meeting, we have entered the final stretch for the conclusion of the second review of the Greek program,” Tzanakopoulos told Skai TV on Wednesday, adding that medium-term debt relief measures will be discussed during the spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund on April 20-23 in Washington.

Tzanakopoulos also denied that inner-party criticism of the program, voiced during SYRIZA’s recent central committee meeting, posed a threat to the viability of the government.

“There may be disagreements and concerns, but not to the extent of triggering a government crisis,” Tzanakopoulos said.

“On the contrary, the overwhelming majority of the central committee approved the government’s stance during the negotiations,” he said ruling out the prospect of an snap poll.

In a public statement, 13 central committee members, including one minister, expressed misgivings over the latest deal, while calling for a change of course in a bid to “reconnect” SYRIZA with society.