VIENNA: The new Greek government's demand for a two-year extension to its painful austerity program is "negotiable," Austria's finance minister said in a newspaper interview published yesterday.
"A reform path was agreed under which the Greeks would be able to finance themselves by 2020, without EU help. This substance of this target must be adhered to, and the agreed reforms done," Maria Fekter told Oesterreich.
"But it is negotiable whether this target could be pushed back from 2020 to 2022, so two years later. Our objective is also for Greece to have a booming economy again. The country cannot be killed by cuts."
The new Greek government wants to secure easier terms from the European Union and International Monetary Fund for the euro zone country's two bailouts after painful austerity cuts proved highly unpopular and devastated the economy.
Greece could be given two more years for cuts: Austria
Greece could be given two more years for cuts: Austria
