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European Agreement Sets Up Third Greek Bailout

An anonymous reader writes: Euro zone leaders have reached a deal that will attempt to resolve Greece's financial crisis. The deal sets up negotiations for the country's third bailout, and will require the Greek government to give up significant autonomy in financial matters. Experts have estimated that Greece could require almost $100 billion to stabilize once again. While this will be a significant cost to taxpayers in other European countries, the economic repercussions of letting Greece default on its debts would be much greater. "The agreement will call for Greece to raise taxes in some cases, parepension benefits and take various other measures meant to reduce what critics see as too much bureaucracy and too many market protections that keep the Greek economy from operating efficiently. ... Despite the agreement, Greek banks are expected to remain closed this week. The banks are acutely short of cash and Greek depositors may soon find it difficult to withdraw even small sums from ATMs."

2 of 485 comments (clear)

  1. Very important link left out: the agreement text by vivaoporto · · Score: 5, Informative

    A very important link was left out: the agreement text (PDF).

    Read it, it is only 7 pages long and, although it mentions other documents, the gist of it is there.

    Commenting on the agreement without reading it is engaging in mindless speculation colored by your own misconceptions and ideological leaning ...

    Oh, who am I kidding, this is slashdot, nobody RTFA.

  2. Re:Very important link left out: the agreement tex by vivaoporto · · Score: 5, Informative

    Yes, why not. Play by play below, italicizes are my asides. Sorry but no TL;DR of the TL;DR, it was hard enough to summarize the whole thing.

    1st paragraph: asks Greece to keep their promise this time.
    To be read with German accent as it was most likely added by Germany. It echoes the statement by Merkel this weekend that says "The most important currency has been lost and that is trust".

    2nd paragraph: tell Greece it is either both ESF and IMF or nothing.
    Meaning Greece will most likely have to agree to another set of measures imposed by IMF.

    3rd paragraph, pages 2 and 3, first item on page 4: sets the first measures to be taken and its deadlines.
    Some must be voted into law by 15 July (72 hours after the meeting) and some by 22 July, next week. They are more or less the same measures that triggered the referendum last week but with a notable absence: cuts in the military

    pages 4 and 5, aditional measures:
    - model for privatization.
    Instead of going to the public coffers it will go to a fund (managed by Greece, supervised by Europe). The assets (estimated 50B) will be split: 50/25/25. 50% to recapitalize the banks, 25B to repay loans, 25B for investiments.
    - model for the supervision: all draft legislation will be subject of their (EU and IMF) consult and agreement. Greece has until 20 July to ask to be helped.
    - reversal of anti austerity legislation: all of them, except the humanitarian crisis bill, must be reexamined and either reversed or replaced by an equivalent measure.
    SOP for "troika" (as in group of three, EU, ECB and IMF) technicians to become the fourth power in the country during the program duration. Happened in Portugal and Ireland

    end of page 5: states that Greece will need between 82 and 86B, unless it can collect more taxes or privatize better. 7 of those billion euros are needed before 20 July and 5 more before mid August. Also states that greece needs to "clear its arrears" to IMF and Bank of Greece
    Sibling post has it right, this part is "Greece, pay denbts"

    page 6: states that Greece either accepts the deal or banks won't reopen. Also, that it is syriza's )and whoever was its predecessor) fault by easing the policies during the last 12 months and that Eurozone can reconsider "longer grace and payment periods" but that will be "no haircuts"
    Again, "Greece, stop screwing up, pay denbts, all of it"

    page 7: states that if Greece accepts the deal the deal will go forward. Also, that in the next 3-5 years 35B will be mobilized to fund investment and economic activity (including SME) via EU programmes
    This must be the concession Tsipras is talking about, 35B for investment including small and medium-sized entrerprises not counting towards the loan but via EU investment.