Schaeuble smoothes the way for Tsipras

By Vasilis Vasilopoulos - Diamantis Seitanidis

Mr. Schäuble attempts to get approval in parliament to extend the Greek program with more funds and without having available the report of the troika for the fifth review. Not even the opinion of the ECB or the European Stability Mechanism, which has not yet examine the Greek request.

Given the early elections, after the first ballot, it is quite clear that Mr. Schaeuble "smoothes the way" on any government emerge from the polls, promoting a preventive credit line and wiping out the government's strategy of fear of "uncontrollable situations" if elected SYRIZA.

The German minister proceeded to this move, which was expected, without having in possession of neither the report of the troika for the fifth evaluation, nor the opinion of the ECB or the European Stability Mechanism, which has not yet examine the Greek request.

According to the German newspaper Handelsbatt, the Green Party denounces the Finance Minister that he attempts to circumvent both the Constitutional Court and the very Bundestag, since the consultation is to be seen as central decision that will not require new meetings for the specifications.

In other words, Wolfgang Schaeuble trying to pass the final approval from the House, on what to do about Greece, without to require any future option to pass the control of the Federal Constitutional Court and the Bundestag.

"It is a blank check", say the protesters and point out that they do not have any figure on the sustainability of Greek debt. This is a scandal and creates very dangerous precedent, say and note that nothing indicates the urgency of the matter.

The assessment of the German minister is that the ESM will provide 10.9 billion euros in Greece on a precautionary credit line, mandatory for one year, which confirms the very negative assessment in the European Commission.

The reference in a letter to the House says:

"There is still uncertainty in financial markets, which to some degree gets triggered by the domestic situation in Greece.. and increased over the past weeks. Therefore, it would be a stabilizing signal for all, for Greece, for markets, for the eurozone as a whole if Greece meets its commitments.. and then a precautionary credit line were to get decided under certain conditions."

Schäuble points out that he has no purpose to give more loans, but adds that there must be a "safety net" for Greece after the end of the program in 2015. And this, regardless of the government that will be in Athens.