Eurozone finance ministers are “likely” to hold an extraordinary meeting in Brussels on February 11, on the eve of the European Council, to find a common solution concerning Greece’s request to relieve its debt, a source close to the talks told AFP on Tuesday. According to the source, it was “very likely” that the Eurogroup meeting would be held next Wednesday, but that a decision would be taken on Thursday after a euro working group meeting, during which the preparatory work for the minister’s meeting will take place. The meeting would be the first after the comments made by new Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis, who clarified that he plans to “put his ideas on the table” in front of his counterparts. The meeting will give Eurozone the opportunity to clarify its position concerning Greece, which wants to lessen its massive debt and end austerity policies. But this ambition meets with the categorical opposition of many countries and especially Germany, which presents itself as the custodian of fiscal orthodoxy in the EU. Other countries have also made it clear that they don’t want to make any concessions, including Finland, the Baltic countries, Netherlands, but also Portugal and Spain. Eurogroup president Jeroem Dijsselbloem said the Eurozone has to deal with the issue in a “very pragmatic way.” “There’s a new government, they won (the elections), they have very different ideas, it’s on that basis that we must negotiate… It will definitely take some time,” he told Dutch television. (source: ana-mpa)
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