European Leaders Assemble for Urgent Meeting on Greek Crisis

As the Greek government faces a looming debt payment, top European leaders met in Berlin on Monday night to reach a consensus over what to do about Greece, signaling the urgent need to unlock emergency financing for the cash-starved country and avoid a devastating default.

 

But a growing political backlash in Greece adds to the uncertainty about whether a deal can be sealed. Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras faces increasing dissent within his leftist Syriza party over creditors’ demands for austerity terms as a condition for releasing the aid.

 

Greece’s main creditors — the International Monetary Fund, the European Central Bank and eurozone countries — have refused to release 7.2 billion euros in bailout funds until Athens agrees to a series of economic reforms and spending cuts. They have been at an impasse for months.

 

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