By Dimitris Hatzinikolas
EuroWorking Group (EWG) president Thomas Wieser has reportedly requested written assurances from Greece’s leftist government that it will not replicate the “holiday bonus” allocated this month to some 1.6 million pensioners in the country — more than half of the people receiving some form of social security benefits.
Wieser reportedly made the request to Greek Alternate Finance Minister Giorgos Houliarakis in Brussels.
The same sources said Houliarakis responded that either he or another Greek official participating at the EWG will present such a letter on Wednesday, the second day of a EWG session this week.
Back in Athens, other sources, this time pressing the Greek side’s position, said representatives of only two countries participating in the EWG cited a need to freeze short-term debt relief measures for Greece because of the abrupt bonus, which will take a 617-million-euro chunk out of state coffers filled from a veritable “tax tsunami” in 2016.
“We are greatly anticipating tomorrow’s (Wednesday) session so we can see whether the short-term debt relief measures will gradually begin to be implemented, or whether the Schaeuble side will continue its hard line,” was the way the source in Athens commented, referring to a standing position by powerful German FinMin Wolfgang Schaeuble.
