Greece’s newly re-elected Prime Minister pledged on Friday to fast-track
negotiations with international bailout creditors so the country can be
in a position to get some much-needed debt relief.
Alexis Tsipras told his first Cabinet meeting that his aim is to have
steered the country out of its crisis by 2019 when his four-year mandate
ends.
“This is an absolutely achievable target, provided we dare carry out
major reforms and changes,” Mr. Tsipras said, in a speech liberally
punctuated with references to speed. “We must work to re-establish, as
soon as possible, financial stability, and restore normality to the
banking system.”
Mr. Tsipras, 41, heads a left-led coalition with the small right-wing
populist party, the Independent Greeks, following last Sunday’s
election.
The July agreement, which was concluded under duress as bankruptcy and
isolation from the rest of Europe loomed, came after months of
negotiations with creditors that hammered the economy and led to the
imposition of strict capital controls to prevent a bank run by worried
depositors.
Mr. Tsipras pledged to respect Greece’s commitments for further spending
cuts, tax hikes and reforms, and said his first, urgent priority will
be to launch talks on reducing the country’s crippling debt burden and
boost its battered banks.
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