Skourletis: 'Samaras came back empty-handed'

"Sometimes, the devil is in the details and I think Merkel and Samaras were absolutely clear on one point. Merkel said that things would progress in such a way that would conclude the memorandum programme. Samaras, in slightly different words, said exactly the same thing; that we will move within the framework of the memorandum programme," he said.

"Consequently, I believe Samaras went and came back empty-handed. And on the crucial, strategic for Europe issue, which is the need to loosen the Stability Pact, namely the loosening of extreme austerity policies, he was left irreparably exposed," he noted.